Residents ‘still at risk of falling’ at Hadleigh nursing home finds Care Quality Commission

A nursing home in Hadleigh has been ranked inadequate by a health watchdog for failing to keep its residents safe.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors carrying out an unannounced inspection at Friars Hall Nursing Home in August discovered the 43 people living there were at risk of falling from first floor windows – despite one resident trying to leave the building out of the downstairs window earlier in the year.

Efforts had been made to make the ground floor exits secure – but window restrictors upstairs were found to be ineffective, inspectors said in a new CQC report released this week.

Resident were “at significant risk of falling if they tried to leave the building that way”, the report finds.

Inspectors also wrote in the report that people were not protected from abuse – dressings were not kept sterile on the day of the inspection, which meant one person’s dressing change due that day was not done.

They were not confident that medicines were managed properly or that people’s pressure sores were being monitored effectively enough.

But during their visit inspectors did see staff being caring towards residents, meals offered were appetising and people said they enjoyed the activities offered by the home.

Emergency action plans were in place and there were enough staff on duty.

Overall the service was ranked inadequate in three areas, with inspectors recording in the report that the home was not safe, effective or well-led.

Care and responsiveness were areas considered to require improvement, but staff were praised for acting in a kind and compassionate manner.

With regards to safety, inspectors wrote: “The service was not safe. Medicines were not administered safely as prescribed.

“The environment was not safe with regard to window restrictors and equipment such as suction machines and syringe drivers being checked as fit for purpose.

“Care and treatment was not always provided in a safe way, the service had no sterile dressing on the day of inspection and a dressing that was due to be changed that day was not done.”

Friars Hall Nursing Home failed to respond to a request for comment ahead of this paper going to press.