The health minister says a private care home in Ramsey is like a hotel.

Crovan Court is on the site of the former King’s Reach home in Alkest Way, Ramsey, and incorporates 52 en-suite rooms with specialist equipment to meet the needs of people who need 24-hour nursing care.

The facility will cater for fee-paying residents.

It cost £5m to refurbish it.

The government’s health supremo David Ashford MHK was at Tuesday’s official unveiling along with a host of other guests, and then told Business News: ’It is a fabulous facility which is very much state-of-the-art.

’In fact it feels more like a hotel than an actual nursing home.

’This is the sort of thing we are after now in the 21st century where people feel it is a home away from home rather than a clinical atmosphere.

’So I think there will be high demand for people to be in there.

’The long-term ambition of the Department of Health and Social Care is to try to help people stay in their own homes longer but we do have to recognise that it is not right for everyone; with an ageing population there will be more and more people that require nursing care. So we have to make sure there is provision there for those people.’

The home was officially opened by Andy Cowie, chairman of Ramsey Commissioners, who told Business News: ’We all know there is an increasing age profile around the island and in the British Isles and there will be a need for more bed spaces. So this is a really useful addition.’

He added it was particularly welcome in Ramsey, which lost King’s Reach about three years ago.

It is LV Care Group’s first care home in the island.

Local director, Ann Sharvin said the home employed more than 50 staff around the clock.

The first residents are yet to arrive but the home has been preparing with the staff being trained up thanks to Isle Learn Ltd, a City and Guilds educational centre based in Braddan.

Mrs Sharvin said the new home indicates the commitment of the LV business to providing high quality care and facilities.

She said she wanted to bring in some Manx history with the name of the home, so she and husband Mark decided to call it after Godfred Crovan (King Orry), who was a Viking Norseman who landed on the shores of Ramsey.

Mrs Sharvin has lived in the island for 28 years and has some Manx family background from the Quayle side of the family. She has worked with the Care Regulatory Board as a inspector.

She said there is definitely a need for facilities such as Crovan Court.

And she said the new home was giving back a 52-bed care home facility that Ramsey lost when King’s Reach closed around three years ago.

The home is owned by island-based developers David Wormald and James Simpson.

Among their future developments is a planned care home at Spaldrick, Port Erin.

Mrs Sharvin said the LV Care Group has six care homes in Jersey and believes older members of society should have access to first-class living surroundings. Mrs Sharvin, who is based in Tromode, said: ’This is the start of an exciting journey for the team in the Isle of Man.

Mrs Sharvin, who said she was head-hunted for the job, was full of praise for the LV Care Group.

She said: ’They do a very good job. They tend to take the business side away from the care home so that staff are all working with the residents as opposed to doing the business side. That’s why we have the head office in Tromode.’

The home has been designed using Manx craftmanship and suppliers including the main contractor Auldyn Construction.

Mrs Sharvin stresses that although they are part of a group that was founded in Jersey, the operations in the Isle of Man will be very much locally managed. ’This is something we all feel is important as it truly makes us accountable to the people we care for and their families.

’Looking after people’s loved ones is a real privilege and it’s important that the management team is here to ensure standards remain high.’