The planned closure of the Cummal Mooar residential home in Ramsey has been put on hold.

Last month Manx Care said that the residential home would close within the next two years before a new facility was available in the north.

The ‘pause’ has been agreed after talks between the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Manx Care.

Now negotiations are continuing with Treasury regarding funding for a replacement facility.

In July Manx Care said plans to replace the home with a new residential home would not be going ahead, to allow a review of the service requirements.

This came amid a claim that costs had spiralled to £13m, even though the originally quoted price was just £12.75m.

Manx Care says that meetings will be held with staff, residents, and their families, over the course of this week to explain the pause, and to provide further detail and give them the opportunity to ask any questions they may have.

It added that Manx Care was unsure how long the pause would be, however it was ‘committed to ensuring that everyone is kept up to date as discussions progress’.

The building of a £12.75m replacement facility was originally approved by the DHSC in 2018 and was earmarked for land at the Cooil Ny Marrey site on Waterloo Road in Ramsey.

Manx Care blamed spiralling costs for the residential home plans being shelved, adding that the most recent estimate for the construction had risen to ‘in excess of £13m, almost doubling the initial estimate’, however back in January 2022, Manx Care gave a price tag of £12.75m.

Despite the increased cost, Manx Care says there are other reasons as to why it decided to not proceed with the development, including factors such as the reduced demand for residential care and the need to review the long-term needs of services in the north of the island.

Earlier this month an online petition was set up in an effort to save Cummal Mooar, which now has 1,554 signatures.

The petition was started by Vicki Hewison, who is asking the question: ‘Why should the elderly who have paid their dues be treated in such a disgusting way?’

It remains unclear how long this ‘pause’ will last for.