Disabled woman left to sit outside flat for hours during flooding | UK News

Vulnerable adults have had to abandon their homes just before Christmas after a housing complex in Greenock was flooded.

In one case a paraplegic woman was left outside for seven hours while alternative accommodation was sought. Eventually she spent the night in hospital.

Blackwood Homes and Care declared a major incident at MacLehose Court this week after water began running into the building’s ground floor flats.

It is the fourth flood since November, which residents believe is due to problems with a nearby drain and recent stormy weather. The firm said it was still attempting to establish the cause.

Margaret Clark’s daughter Rona McClure has been in MacLehose Court for several years, after a cancerous tumour went through her shoulder blades and crushed her spine. She now needs a wheelchair.

Margaret told Scotland News multiple flooding incidents had occurred at the complex, including one case where water was high enough to go over people’s ankles.

Rona had to wait outside due to the electric wheels on her chair being a risk.

Margaret said: “The first time it happened the carers were the first to spot it – they had gone into the flat and realised the floor was wet. It wasn’t too bad.

“But a couple of days later the house was flooded, with water up over your ankles. The electric wheels on Rona’s chair were skidding with the deep water and it was dangerous, so she had to sit outside.

“Inverclyde’s social work department were there and very supportive but no-one from Blackwood was on site.

“Rona was there from half past three until 10:30 at night while they tried to find her somewhere.

“Eventually it was only a hospital bed they could give her for one night.”

Since then Rona’s home has been flooded two more times.

Due to the size of her wheelchair, she is unable to access many older care homes, limiting what accommodation she can use.

When it flooded most recently, she was left to stay overnight in the sodden flat, as no alternative accommodation could be found.

She has now been offered a temporary home at another Blackwood complex in Cardonald, but Margaret said her daughter’s mental health had been devastated by the constant stress and worry over her home flooding.

Last Monday, Blackwood posted on social media that what it described as “a major incident” was affecting MacLehose Court.

About nine people have had to leave their homes.

Among them were Stewart Bell’s parents John and Susan, who have stayed at the complex for about four years.

Stewart told Scotland News the past several weeks have been a nightmare, with the couple’s furniture, floors and beds ruined.

He said: “These things can happen and I understand it, but it has taken a month now to fix.

“The second time it happened, the water was over my ankles. We paid out to fix the the floors and after two weeks of staying with my sister my parents moved back in. Then it just immediately flooded that night.

“The house is unsafe and they’ll have to start again at 75.”

Stewart said Blackwood staff told him it could be months before his parents would be able to move back into MacLehose Court.

His mother Susan suffered a bad fall last week and went into hospital for several days.

She and her husband have now been offered a place in another care home.

Both Margaret and Stewart said they felt frustrated with Blackwood for a slow response to the problems.

Margaret said and her husband – both of whom are in their 70s – had been left to arrange transporting most of Rona’s belongings to her new home, while Blackwood staff had rarely been seen around the property.

Blackwood told Scotland that staff were treating it a a top priority and working with Inverclyde Council and Scottish Water to find a solution.

A spokesperson said: “Our immediate priority has been to help secure suitable temporary accommodation where required and to ensure people’s safety.

“Teams are continuing to work on site, with water being pumped 24 hours a day.”

The spokesperson added that while conditions had improved, the underlying causes of the flooding had not been resolved yet.

An Inverclyde Council spokesperson said: “We are supporting Blackwood with their repairs and relocation of residents as best we can.

“Our roads service are providing advice and support to help facilitate the repair works and also our health and social care colleagues have been supporting residents into temporary accommodation.”