WESTBURY Court Nursing Home has received a damning report and judged ‘inadequate’ following a recent unannounced inspection. Criticism of the home’s care included handing out incorrect medication and not recording how injuries appeared.
The nursing home on Station Road, which is part of the Four Seasons Health Care group which own 450 care homes in the UK, was visited by Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors to check that Westbury Court was meeting national standards. The report found that Westbury Court failed in almost every aspect, with the home being judged as inadequate at:
• Providing care, treatment and support that meets people’s needs
• Caring for people safely and protecting them from harm
• Quality and suitability of management
• Insufficient staffing
The report which is available online says, “The summary is based on our observations during the inspection. We spoke with 18 people using the service, eight relatives or friends, 12 of the staff supporting them, the manager and the regional operations manager.
“We found that unexplained injuries or bruising were not investigated and it was not clear what action if any had been taken to minimise the risk of recurrence.
“The home did not administer people’s medication safely. We found that medication trolleys were left unlocked where people could access them. Medication was not always given at the prescribed times to allow safe time frames between doses. This meant that people in the home may not be safe from harm caused by medication.
“We found that there were not enough staff (or they were not effectively deployed) to meet people’s needs. Call bells were not answered in a timely way which put people at risk of harm. The majority of people told us that there were not enough staff around but others told us there are always enough staff.
“Plans of care were not reviewed regularly and it was not clear if any necessary changes had been made to them. This meant that the care being given may have been out of date or inappropriate for the individual’s current needs.”
The damning report by the CQC has been further highlighted by a member of staff who has contacted the White Horse News to explain the conditions in the home. The staff member said, “It is absolutely awful in the home. The residents are not looked after at all. Many of the staff are concerned about the treatment and as far as I know eight different members of staff have contacted the CQC to explain conditions.
“It really is hurtful to a lot of staff as many of us are professional and care about the residents, but we are hopelessly understaffed and when we question it to management they make our life hell.
“Some of the things I have seen is shocking; medications are regularly not given on time and as a result an incorrect dosage is administered. Residents are sometimes left in bed until 2.30pm in the afternoon and when they ring the bell for attention it can take 35 minutes for a response as there is not enough of us to do everything.
“The hygiene of the residents is kept in a poor condition and some are left to soil themselves as they don’t get the attention. We have been told by the management to keep quiet and not tell anyone what goes on here; one member of staff was even threatened.
“The company do not care and the regional manager is not interested.”
A Four Seasons spokesperson who responded to the criticism on behalf of Westbury Court said, “We are sorry that the home was not compliant with all CQC inspection criteria and fell short of the standards we expect to provide. The wellbeing of people in our care is our priority and we have taken the CQC requirements and recommendations very seriously.
“We are implementing an agreed action plan with oversight and support from senior regional management. A new home manager, as well as additional care and nursing staff, are being appointed and will take up post once the necessary background checks are completed. There is also an enhanced training plan in place for all staff and we have introduced more rigorous monitoring to ensure our processes and procedures to support quality of care are strictly followed.”
To see the report issued by the Care Quality Commission on the home visit www.cqc.org.uk and type Westbury Court into search.
