Patients were left in pain because a care home in Hove ran out of medicines, blamed partly on its reliance on agency nurses.
Official inspectors said that Lindridge, in Laburnum Avenue, Hove, required improvement – the third year in a row that it had received the same rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
Inspectors said: “People were not always supported to receive their medicines when they needed them.
“Systems had not always ensured that there were sufficient medicines in stock to meet people’s needs.
“Records were not always accurate and complete. This meant that the registered manager could not be assured that people were receiving their medicines as prescribed. This was a continued breach of the regulations.
“Staff told us that people’s medicines were not always available. One staff member said, ‘There have been some problems with the pharmacy but it’s sorted now.’
“Another staff member told us, ‘Sometimes medicines have run out and we have to order some in quickly.’
“A third staff member said, ‘Everyone who gives the medicine should check and report it when tablets are low. Because there is lots of agency staff, this doesn’t always happen.’
“Another person was also prescribed a medicine for pain relief and (their) chart identified that they had not been offered their medicine as there was ‘no stock’.
“One person had not received any of their prescribed medicines on one day and had only received some of their prescribed medicines on two other days due to there being no available stock of their medicines.
“Staff had taken action to obtain a supply but not until it was noticed that the stock had run out.”
While staffing levels were consistently good, the CQC said: “Records showed that there was a high percentage of agency staff being used to cover shifts.
“One area of the home was providing a short- term rehabilitation service for people who had been transferred from hospital. This area of the home was staffed completely with agency staff.”
The rehab service has since closed. It had been set up under a short-term contract to help cope with the soaring number of patients arriving at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton.
Even when Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust, which runs Lindridge, relied on agency staff at the home, it tried to ensure as much continuity of care as possible by having regulars sent along.
This is deplorable. A relative of mine suffered at the hands of a Southern Cross home (Orchid View) in Crawley, West Sussex. Reading this is like reliving the whole harrowing experience from Orchid View all over again. Following a Serious Case Review into Orchid View families were lead to believe that lessons had been learned which would have an impact and bring about improvements at a national level. This article and many other reported cases of neglect/abuse in the national media prove this clearly has not happened.
4 nurses employed by the home resigned in one week. Most of the staff running the place are agency, even in the kitchen. This is all down to bad management, and poor or lack of correct training. A fridge kept for storing drugs was inadequate as it couldn’t maintain the correct temperature. This went on for 3 years. Very little happens after every CQC report.
Terrible place. Should be shut down.