Inspections Initiative Raises Fresh Concerns Over Welfare

Medical law experts at Irwin Mitchell have demanded care home providers act quickly to improve services after a nationwide Care Quality Commission inspection programme revealed significant concerns over the welfare of residents.

Undertaken following the scandal related to Bristol’s Winterbourne View home, the review of care services found that almost half of the 145 hospitals and care homes targeted as part of unannounced inspections do not meet the required standards.

While no problems on the scale of Winterbourne View were uncovered, the inspections revealed that independent services were less likely to comply with standards than NHS providers.

The research also revealed that a number of sites had lessons to learn in relation to restraint and its use, adding that workers need to be trained on more appropriate ways to make use of it.

Irwin Mitchell has represented numerous families of elderly and vulnerable people who have suffered serious neglect and abuse while residing in care homes and hospitals across the UK.

Jonathan Peacock, a Partner at the firm’s Bristol office, acted for families whose loved ones were affected by problems at the notorious Maypole Nursing Home in Birmingham – where 27 residents died in a single year.

Commenting on the CQC findings, he said: “Care homes and hospitals exist to ensure that vulnerable members of society are given access to the treatment and the care they often need to get the best out of life.

“However, recent scandals have shown a terrible dark side to this area and will have made many families think twice about placing the welfare of their loved ones in the hands of such sites.

“The findings from the CQC do little to raise confidence in services and it is absolutely vital that both the NHS and independent providers work quickly to ensure that standards improve following this round of unannounced inspections.

“So many people are keen to see huge improvements made to ensure the mistakes of the past are not seen again – we hope that this is the first step towards ensuring that care standards take a huge leap forward in the next few years.”

If you or a loved one has been abused or neglected whilst in a care, our care & nursing home abuse claims team could help you to secure compensation. See our Elder Abuse Compensation Claims page for more information.