Nursing Home Closed by Regulators Due to 'Serious Risk to Life'

Monday, 11th September 2017

A nursing home has been forced to close because of care failings described as the worst ever seen by inspectors.

Regulators took the "unprecedented" step after an urgent inspection at the nursing home in Enniskillen on 16 August 2017 stating that the failings, including dirty facilities and a "strong odour of faeces and urine", posed a serious risk to life.

The care home group who own said nursing home said a previous unannounced inspection had found evidence of 'safe delivery of care' and that staff had not, further to this most recent inspection, been given the opportunity to address any concerns pointed out by inspectors.

The Regulations and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) said it was liaising with authorities to organise "appropriate alternative care arrangements" for the home's residents, all of which we guaranteed to be in place by 31 August 2017.

RQIA Chief Executive Olive Macleod said the home was brought to regulators' attention after information was shared that necessitated an immediate inspection.

"The patient equipment was dirty, the patients looked unkempt, their hair had not been washed, their clothes were dirty and there was a very strong odour of faeces and urine," she said.

"When we checked the records we found there had been substantial weight loss recorded against at least three patients, and in one patient it was 6kg - which is a very large amount of weight for anybody to lose in one week.

Olive Macleod said the RQIA felt the 'unprecedented' closure; the first ever closure in Northern Ireland since its foundation in 2005, was the right one to protect residents

"There was no evidence in the records that any actions had been taken in relation to that case failure."

She added that inspectors also spoke to visitors who said the home was short-staffed and that they themselves had helped to assist other patients eat meals.

Ms Macleod said that while the RQIA would normally have invited the care home group to a "serious concerns meeting", the failures were "of such an extent that we believed this was the appropriate action to take".

In an official statement, the care home group said it "was not given any prior notification of the enforcement action" the RQIA intended to take.

"There was not, therefore, any opportunity for the group’s staff to engage with RQIA to address any concerns that they had with regard to the running of this care home.

"We are currently working very closely with the Western Health and Social Care Trust and other stakeholders to ensure that care delivery is provided in a person-centred and safe manner throughout this difficult time.

"Ensuring that residents of this care home receive high quality nursing and residential care is of upmost importance to us."

A spokesperson for the Western Health and Social Care Trust said

"As an interim measure the trust will work alongside the management of the home to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the residents which remains the trust's priority."