Crisis fears as Thomson Court Day Centre faces fresh threat of closure

A RENEWED battle to save Thomson Court Day Centre is under way on Bute, as Argyll and Bute councillors discussed cost-cutting proposals that could see the island’s only adult day service shut its doors.
The potential closure — which was highlighted in pre-budget discussions during Wednesday’s full council meeting — has sparked alarm among families, carers and local campaigners, who say such a decision would trigger a Social Care Emergency on the island.
Parts of the council debate, including the detailed financial discussion, were held in private, and in response, local campaign group Friends of Thomson Court Day Centre and Care Home Team circulated a lengthy briefing email to every councillor ahead of the meeting, urging elected members to put Bute first and reject any move to cut the service.
The group’s message outlined a detailed history of repeated threats to the centre.
In March 2024, users were given just seven days’ notice of a plan to close the day services — sparking a huge community effort that saw petitions, letters and national media coverage forcing the Integration Joint Board (IJB) to reject the proposal outright.
At the time, the IJB agreed that future planning for older adult services would not assume closures or savings.
Despite this reassurance, campaigners say the issue has now come full circle.
Residents also highlight what they describe as broken promises around extra care beds. In October 2024, Argyll and Bute Council publicly announced funding to expand capacity at Thomson Court Care Home.
Senior council and HSCP figures praised the investment as great news for Bute. But by March 2025 the project had quietly been paused due to cost constraints, leaving the island still without additional beds.
Campaigners warn the consequences of closing the day centre would be severe. Bute has only one residential care home and one dementia day centre, serving a population of 6,500 — more than a quarter of whom are aged over 60. There is no alternative day-care service on the island.
The group insists the need on Bute is clear, pointing to more than 130 new letters and emails, and around 2,000 petition signatures submitted during the most recent consultation.
They also say the council has previously acknowledged the island’s acute care pressures, noting that Bute has just nine care beds serving nearly half of Argyll and Bute’s total island population.
At the full council meeting in Kilmory on Wednesday, a majority of councillors voted down a motion to declare a health and social care emergency in Argyll and Bute and passed an alternative watered-down motion that did not accept that a health and social care emergency existed in Argyll and Bute, by a majority vote.
A spokesperson from Friends of Thomson Court explained: “Even if they don’t accept there is currently a social care emergency in Argyll and Bute, there will definitely be one on the Isle of Bute if Thomson Court Day Centre closes. We would, however, like to thank Bute councillor Peter Wallace for proposing and voting for the original motion.”
Councillors are expected to revisit the issue in February when final budget decisions are made. The Friends group has urged elected members to make the right decision and protect a service many families see as essential to the island’s wellbeing and future.