Shadow Health Minister Louise Jackson has raised concerns over the future of the Continuing Care Unit at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

The 102-bed facility provides care for elderly and young disabled people who are not in an acute phase of illness but require services not available in nursing homes.

The Estate Master Plan for Bermuda?s healthcare system unveiled last year concluded that King Edward VII Memorial Hospital and the Mid Atlantic Wellness Institute would need to be totally replaced by no later than the end of 2012.

The review recommended a new main hospital in the central parishes, plus three clinics called ?Campuses of Care? located in the eastern, central and western areas of the Island. It was said that the Campuses would include facilities for continuing care to take stress away from the main ?acute care? hospital.

However, Mrs. Jackson said yesterday: ?The current proposal is for an acute care hospital.

?They are cutting out the Continuing Care Unit totally for the hospital. No one from Government has said where these 100-odd seniors are going to go. This is not a problem for the Bermuda Hospitals Board. The Government has been silent. We have not heard any plan.?

She said the ?Campuses of Care? plan appeared to have been ?struck off the list? by Government because it would cost too much but that no one from Government was at the Bermuda Hospitals Board public meeting about future plans on Saturday.

?People were calling out ?where are the members of Government?? Where is the Minister? There was no-one there to answer questions. People want to know what the plan is for seniors and where they will go. We don?t have enough space now for seniors. The rest homes are all chock-a-block and many in Government hands are in very poor shape. We will have an Alzheimer?s unit in the new St. George?s facility but that will not even begin to take care of the problem,? she said.

Venetta Symonds, Deputy chief executive officer of the Bermuda Hospitals Board said yesterday: ?The Estate Master Plan includes provisions for CCU patients to be cared for in locations in the east, west and central parishes. Further details regarding the continuity of care of our clients will be provided as plans for the new acute care hospital are moved forward.?

Mrs. Jackson has long been pushing for repairs to a separate facility for seniors, Lefroy House in Sandys, which suffered roof damage in Hurricane Fabian three years ago.

A Health Ministry spokesperson said on Friday that repairs are in progress: ?The Ministry of Works and Engineering has engaged a contractor to replace the roof sheathing and waterproof membrane and complete structural repairs to the heavy roof timbers. Additionally, a new lightning protection system is being installed.?

Welcoming this, Mrs. Jackson said: ?I?m delighted to hear it. This has been a long haul. I think the priorities of this Government are all out of whack. When you think of things that money has been spent on, seniors seem to be the last people to get help.?

Minister of Health Patrice Minors failed to return calls last night.