Thursday 29 September 2011

The Old Rectory Nursing Home responds to CQC's safety concerns

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has said that it is satisfied that Southern Healthcare (Wessex) Ltd has made the urgent improvements that were required at The Old Rectory Nursing Home in Exeter.

Inspectors who made an unannounced visit to the home in Tiverton Road, Exeter, in August, found that its systems for the management of medicines now complied with the essential standards of quality and safety.

The visit followed concerns which had been raised during two previous inspections. In July 2011 the CQC issued a formal warning to Southern Healthcare (Wessex) Ltd, stating that it must make urgent improvements to the management of medicines or face further action.

Inspectors said that some individuals cared for by this Nursing Home were at risk of choking because records did not clearly state that they should not have their medicines given by mouth. Medicine records were not always sufficiently clear to show that people were receiving their medicines as they were prescribed by a doctor.

The home had not carried out audits of their medicines since the CQC inspected in January 2011, and the system for managing medicines was not robust enough to identify where errors had occurred.

Ian Biggs, Regional Director of CQC in the South West, said that inspectors had now found there had been a significant improvement to safety of the residents.

He said: "The law says that these are the standards that everyone should be able to expect. Providers have a duty to ensure they are compliant.

“On our earlier inspection, it was a matter of some concern that The Old Rectory was in breach of the regulations on the management of medicines.

“Our latest inspection has shown a real improvement. The onus is now on the provider to ensure that this continues. We will monitor the home to ensure these improvements are sustained and will not hesitate to take action if it becomes necessary."

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