Kilgour hits out at council plans to build Scotland’s three most expensive care homes

A leading Scottish care home boss has hit out at Fife Council’s plans to build three care homes which, per bed, will be the most expensive in Scotland.

Responses to FOI requests by Renaissance Care chairman Robert Kilgour show that two 24-bed care homes planned for Cupar and Anstruther, due for completion in November 2023 and September 2024 at a cost of £6.6m each, will cost £275,000 per bed excluding land costs, as the council already own both plots of land.

Robert Kilgour

Kilgour said there seemed to be an absence of a due tendering process by the council.

“It is scandalous that Fife Council Building Services is undertaking the Methil contract without any pricing competition from the private sector. This is unnecessary profligate spending – what other local services in Fife are suffering to fund this unnecessary excess spending?” he said.

“Two questions must be asked – firstly, why at such a tough financial time for local councils are Fife Council building three of the most expensive care homes in the country, and secondly, why are building contracts not going out to competitive tender rather than straight to the Council’s own building services department at an inflated cost to Fife council tax players – of which I am one?”

He claimed that the plans did not represent good use of public money.

“It is simply not good value for local taxpayers’ money at a time when public finances are massively under pressure, and there is a real responsibility for Fife Council to get value for money from the public purse.”

He added: “Local authorities say they are strapped for cash and can’t afford to pay independent sector care homes the true cost of care. I want to highlight the double standards in operation. There is no level playing field – local councils are not being realistic and honest in recognising the true costs of care.”

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