Hansard

I thank Bruce Crawford for securing the debate and for hosting Sue Ryder in Parliament a few weeks ago, when I was able to learn more about the work that it does across the country. That gave me the opportunity to talk to Valerie Maxwell, who is centre director of Dee View Court in Aberdeen.

For more than 13 years, Dee View Court has played a key role in the delivery of expert and compassionate long-term care for people with neurological conditions who live with complex care and support needs. It is Scotland’s only purpose-built specialist residential facility for people who live with such conditions. Although Dee View Court is not in my constituency, it is very near to it, being in Kincorth, in Aberdeen city, in the Aberdeen South and North Kincardine constituency of my friend and colleague Maureen Watt, and some of its residents are from my constituency of Aberdeenshire East. We are tremendously fortunate to have a facility such as Dee View Court in our area, but I am conscious that most of Scotland does not have access to such specialist residential care.

The staff at Dee View Court work closely with a range of health and social care professionals to deliver incredible 24-hour care and support to people who live with very complex needs and neurological conditions. They provide a safe environment in which people can live as full a life as possible, and where staff provide quality care and support. As Lewis Macdonald has mentioned, they are very much integrated in the local community and live a full life there. Each resident has their own specially adapted room, is free to participate in recreational activities and is able to get a good deal of independence back in their own space, whereas many had previously been reliant on family members for their care.

Sue Ryder’s “Rewrite the Future” report highlights that many people without access to a specialist resource such as Dee View Court suffer needlessly and are unable to live their lives as fully as possible. Many neurological conditions are no respecters of age, so the fact is that, without specialist facilities, hundreds of people end up in old people’s homes because they have nowhere else to go for their care, as Bruce Crawford mentioned in his compelling opening speech.

A place like Dee View Court could have made a tremendous difference to the life of my brother-in-law Keith and his mother Audrey when his dad, Eric Allardyce, lost a great deal of his mobility due to the multiple sclerosis that developed in his late 20s and eventually took his life when he was in his mid-30s. Eric was cared for at home until his death by Audrey, who only just managed to raise Keith and arrange part-time work around Eric’s care.

Dee View Court’s very existence depends on fundraising by Sue Ryder. We need more facilities like Dee View Court, which has a waiting list and wants to expand to offer its expert care to more residents. A couple of months ago, Sue Ryder launched a campaign to raise £3.9 million to build a much-needed new wing and cater for an additional 20 residents. The planned extension will consist of 14 new en suite bedrooms and six supported-living apartments.

I end with good news. Just this week, Dee View Court announced that the generous and public-spirited people of the north-east have helped the appeal to reach the £1 million mark. I close by letting everyone know how they can help Dee View Court to reach its target. Simply go to www.sueryder.org/care-centres/neurological-centres and find Dee View Court to donate there. We can provide specialist care for more than 20 more people in the north-east, but we need commitment from every health board to make services available that are appropriate for those with neurological conditions, whatever their age.