Council leader Michael Jones has defended his criticism of a care home that could face closure.

Cheshire East Council’s Dementia Commissioning Plan proposes to transfer all respite care to the independent sector – meaning it will be provided privately and through voluntary services.

As a result there are fears that Hollins View care home – the only council-run facility in Macclesfield to offer respite for dementia patients – could close.

At the latest full council cabinet meeting, Coun Michael Jones stated that there had been ‘failings on Hollins View drugs distribution’.

The comments were made in response to Coun Laura Jeuda, Labour group spokesperson for Health and Wellbeing, who pleaded with the council to keep the facility open.

But angry labour group members have said they can’t find any evidence of prior failings at the facility, and that Coun Jones’ comments are merely a tool to try and force its closure. They say that a CQC inspection of Hollins View in March this year found no such problems, awarding it a ‘Good’ standard – the highest they can bestow.

Coun Laura Jeuda said: “Since Coun Jones’ comments I have spoken to carers of those attending Hollins View and to colleagues in health and in the voluntary sector. Nobody is aware of the failing that he speaks of.

“Unfortunately, I have been unable to discuss this with the manager of Hollins View, because he and all the other staff have been forbidden to discuss the impending closure of the service with me. If Coun Jones has evidence of failings at Hollins View he must make them public.

“He cannot be allowed to get away with smearing the service and Cheshire East employees with unsubstantiated statements.

“I challenge Coun Jones and the Portfolio Holder, Coun Clowes, to produce the evidence that failings on drug distribution have occurred.”

The council is currently holding a six-week public consultation on the plans which began on August 28. In an exclusive interview with The Express, Coun Jones said that his comment was referring to a past failing at the facility, and that he wouldn’t reveal details of the error as it would involve speaking against council staff.

He said: “I won’t go into details as members of staff will be involved, but if the Labour group had done their homework properly they would have found out what I was talking about.

“This is about people doing their best for vulnerable adults.

“That was a failing in the past and we have failings right now at another residence.

“It must be hard for the Labour group. They have got the issue wrong on dementia and respite and their decision to call it in did put dementia patients at risk.

“They are playing politics with people’s lives and they should stop it.

“We have made it clear that respite must stop, but we’re waiting for the results of the consultation before we make any firm decisions on Hollins View. Are we worried about buildings or people being looked after properly?”

More than 200 people have signed a petition started by Coun Jeuda and other members of the Labour group to try and ensure the care home’s survival.