Cumbria's worst-rated care homes show pandemic's impact on care sector

From Covid positive residents mingling freely to missed safety checks and medicinal errors, inspectors uncovered a catalogue of issues at Cumbria’s worst-rated homes.

Around a dozen Cumbrian care homes required improvement when last inspected, according to News & Star analysis of Care Quality Commission records.

All of those homes received the below par rating between 2019 and May this year, with the coronavirus pandemic central to many concerns flagged by inspectors.

The CQC said the pandemic led to significant staffing pressures across the sector, which impacted upon the quality of care in some services.

Carlisle’s Barrock Court home closed last autumn due to pandemic-related staffing issues.

Inspectors found staff had not been following Government guidance around infection risk, while at the Old Vicarage in Askam in Furness, residents with Covid-19 mixed freely with those who tested negative.

Lateral flow tests – some positive – were left sitting on desks at the home, where inspectors found 12 of the 26 people living there had coronavirus and were sharing communal facilities, putting others “at very high risk of being infected”.

However, the home’s registered manager acted immediately to address concerns around a lack of risk assessment, the CQC report said.

Improvements to reduce transmission were deemed necessary at Carnforth’s Westmorland Court home, especially around the admission of unvaccinated people – though registered manager Catherine Zimbeva told the N&S all issues raised had since been addressed.

A lack of mask wearing was highlighted at some homes, including Harbour View in Whitehaven and Virginia Lodge in Carlisle, where registered manager Lauren Walsh maintained risks from Covid-19 were well managed.

She told inspectors masks impaired communication with people who have dementia, while the N&S understands nobody at the home was infected at the time of the CQC inspection.

Hygiene issues, inconsistent record keeping, incomplete care plans, unsafe fire escapes and prescribing problems were among the issues flagged at other homes.

At Windermere's Twin Oaks risk assessments were not being properly carried out – inspectors said one resident lost more than 12kg in 18 months, but their weight went undocumented for months prior to the inspection. 

Inspectors found care records there had been completed before care had been provided, while a spokesman for the home said a legal challenge was currently on-going so would not provide comment.

The N&S contacted all of the homes that required improvement and received assurances from most that significant improvements had been made since the CQC’s last visit.

A spokesman for Heron Hill in Kendal is among those urging the regulatory body to carry out a new inspection to allow for those improvements to be formally recognised.

What did the CQC say?

Hayley Moore, CQC’s head of inspection for adult social care, said care home residents deserve to receive good, safe and dignified care as a minimum standard.

She said: “When a service is rated requires improvement overall, it means it is not performing as well as it should be, and we will take action to help the provider drive improvement and work towards achieving a rating of good or outstanding.”

She urged anyone with concerns or dissatisfaction with care facilities to contact the CQC.

What did Healthwatch Cumbria say?

Healthwatch Cumbria said the latest inspections reflected the impact of the pandemic locally.

A spokesman said the organisation – which champions patient voices in health and social care – will be carrying out a series of visits to Cumbria’s care homes to hear from residents, families and staff.

He said: “Based on this, we will support services with recommendations that can support improvements for local people.”

To share experiences with Healthwatch, email info@healthwatchcumbria.co.uk.