The Plan
A thought came to me. It was difficult to pin it down exactly. A creative intimation. A restructuring of everything we did. With a newfound resolve, I took the mental step into planning mode, aware that our survival might depend on lateral thinking and my team-building skills.
A fight for survival
Molly's voice homed in on me relentlessly, pursuing me into my office. “Matt Hancock will be counting on care homes with overdrafts and unfilled vacancies to clear hospital beds of Covid patients. There must be no collusion here!” It was clear to me now: we would need to forestall a bumbling, but ruthless Government. Her words hung in the air, heavy with administrative implications that even she would not have appreciated. What she had called for was a firewall - not just a physical barrier, but a bulwark against the relentless pressure from bed managers and NHS bureaucrats. I could feel the seriousness of the situation settling over me, a cloak of responsibility I had never anticipated but now couldn’t shake.
“You’re right,” I nodded lamely.
“Mark my words. It will be a fight for the survival of all you have built here - your baby. If a single carrier is admitted to Meirion Court, it would put all your clients at risk, my dear. And let there be no shadow of a doubt,” she warned, her eyes narrowing with conviction, “private care homes with high mortality rates will close, no matter how glowing their Care Quality Commission assessments or how deep the pockets of their backers.” The urgency in her voice opened a rift of deepest dread within me. The future of Meirion Court hinged on what I did.
My mind churning with inchoate strategies, I repeated, “Let me sleep on it."
I needed time to refine my thinking.
Next day, Molly stood before me again, a small yet formidable presence; her steel-grey hair pulled back tightly, her unwavering scrutiny a testament to her years of courtroom battles.
"Slow down, Molly."
"You’ll be pleased to hear I finished my Action Plan at 4 am," I told her. "We're not surrendering without a fight, I assure you. The residents of Meirion Court have built their lives here. We won’t let anyone destroy their home and put their lives at risk. My words resonated with such decisiveness that Molly gave me a quick hug.
Meirion Court is a searing but prophetic literary novel set to be published this autumn. Divided into 30 chapters, it recounts the story of an upmarket residential care facility for the elderly where staff volunteered to live with residents during Covid. It offers a unique perspective on social care and provides a valuable contribution to the debate on the possible creation of an integrated NHS and adult social care system.