Cumbrian nursing home's low standards put patients at risk of serious harm

Published at 08:47, Friday, 05 February 2010

Staff at a Cumbrian nursing home were sedating residents without giving good reason, say inspectors.

Beacon Edge at Penrith

Beacon Edge in Penrith has received a zero star rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Its level of care has been deemed ‘poor’ and CQC inspectors said the low standards put residents at risk of ‘serious harm’.

The Bupa-run home for people with dementia was criticised for the way it handles medicines and staffing levels.

It has broken the law by allowing an unregistered manager to be in charge for at least nine months.

And incidents which should have been reported to social services and the CQC were kept in-house.

Details of what they entailed have not been revealed.

There was concern over the apparent unnecessary sedation of residents.

The CQC inspection report stated: “We checked the administration of ‘when required’ sedatives and on occasions their use could not be justified from the records that were made at the time.”

Medications such as inhalers and dietary supplements had been allowed to run out.

According to records, mistakes were made when it came to administering medicines.

Some doses were being missed and others got doled out at the wrong strength. Inconsistent numbers of staff on duty was another worry for inspectors.

One employee admitted that it had been an ‘issue’ for months.

There was heavy reliance on bank and agency staff, which the CQC says can have a detrimental effect on residents.

Gaps were also found in care plans.

Inspectors said: “This means that people do not always receive the care and support they need nor are they always treated with respect and dignity.”

Other failings flagged up by the CQC included dirty bathroom equipment and patients not being handled properly when they were moved.

Beacon Edge advertises itself as a specialist home for people with dementia.

But inspectors were unable ascertain whether all the staff had been properly trained, and there was only one registered mental health nurse who worked nights.

Cumbria County Council pays the fees for some of the Beacon Edge residents.

A spokesman said the county council is working closely with the CQC and Bupa to ensure the necessary improvements are made.

He added: “Our priority is to protect both current and future residents and to assist the home in improving the quality of its service.”

Bupa says it’s a case of poor administration rather than poor service. A spokesman told The Cumberland News that all medications had been given out correctly – it was the records which were wrong.

Tracey Fletcher, regional director for Bupa Care Homes, said: “We have accepted that our medications record keeping was not of the standard expected. This was an administration issue and does not mean there were any errors in our dispensing. However, we are putting
this right.”