Urgent improvements needed at care home say inspectors (From Enfield Independent)

Urgent improvements needed at care home say inspectors

5:14pm Wednesday 22nd August 2012 in News By Bruce Thain

Inspectors say urgent improvements are needed at a care home which they claim is failing to protect the safety and welfare of people living there.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has issued a formal warning to Four Seasons, which runs the Sunbridge Care Centre, in Hickory Close, Edmonton, following an unannounced inspection in July.

Inspectors found the home had failed to ensure people living in the home were protected against risks associated with the unsafe use and management of medicines.

They found incorrect doses had been issued to a number of people and records did not match the number of tablets remaining.

Matthew Trainer, deputy director of CQC in London, said: “The standards of quality and safety in care that CQC checks are those that the law says everyone should expect.

“These standards exist to protect vulnerable people – who cannot always speak up for themselves - being put at risk of harm. Providers have a duty to be compliant.

“Poor medicines management presents serious and, in some cases immediate, risk to people’s health and wellbeing. We have told the home they need to tackle these failings urgently.”

A spokeswoman for the home said: “We deeply regret that in this instance Sunbridge Care Home fell below the standards we usually deliver and that our residents are entitled to expect.

“The wellbeing and comfort of residents is our priority and we are taking urgent action to address this aspect of performance highlighted by the CQC inspectors.”

The home also said it will be implementing a comprehensive improvement programme including the retraining of staff and the Home Manager carrying out daily random audits.

The CQC said it would return to the home at a later date and carry out another inspection of the site and if improvements had not been made would take legal action.