A Brighton care home has been declared safe after an official inspection, having had to deal with an outbreak of e.coli among staff and residents.
Maycroft Manor Care Home, in Carden Avenue, Brighton, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) last month for the fifth time in just over two years.
In a report published last week, the CQC said that overall Maycroft Manor was good. The home was also rated good for providing services that were safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.
The inspection took place weeks after Maycroft Manor – part of the Hallmark Care Homes Group – had to tackle an outbreak of e.coli 0157 which affected two residents and a member of staff.
The care home’s bosses halted visits from friends and relatives of the elderly residents after the outbreak in June.
At the time Public Health England said that a national outbreak had affected more than 100 people including 22 in the south east. The source was believed to be unwashed salad.
Symptoms include stomach pain and diarrhoea, with contaminated food or infected animals a common source of infection.
The CQC report said: “We undertook this unannounced focused inspection in light of information of concern we received. The service had been confirmed as having a serious infectious outbreak.
“The service was clean and well maintained, with clear guidance displayed for people and staff in relation to the prevention and control of the serious infectious outbreak.
“People told us they understood that the service had a serious infectious outbreak and that they had been provided with information about this.
“They told us they understood that visiting was restricted and that there may be some temporary changes to the way their care was provided.
“One person told us, ‘They told us all about it (the outbreak). They’ve been wonderful. They have done everything they can to sort it out. It seems like they’ve gone over the top, but they have to”.
“The provider had also ensured that up to date and relevant information updates in relation to the outbreak were prepared and distributed to staff, visitors and people living at the service.
“The provider had actively engaged with and followed guidance and protocols dictated by professional bodies such as Public Health England (PHE), environmental health and the local clinical commissioning group (CCG) in order to contain the outbreak and to obtain samples for screening people, staff and pets at the service.
“The provider had sensitively and appropriately gathered stool samples for screening from everybody living and working at the service. Arrangements had also been made to provide specialist equipment and take isolation precautions for people who had been infected.
Effective
“The provider had implemented appropriate refresher training for staff in relation to hand washing and infection control and had also liaised with PHE to provide specific training around the effects of a serious infectious outbreak.
Only Hallmark homes and ex=PWC care speculator Avnish aka “Vanish” (the invisible man) Goyal could get away with turning an infection outbreak into a positive news story. Check out his “care” on scam dot com glassceiling nhs choices and other sites.