New Forest care home has rating downgraded over Covid testing failures and staff PPE issues

A HYTHE care home has seen its rating downgraded to ‘requires improvement’ over failures in coronavirus testing its residents.

Staff at West Cliff Hall were also spotted not using PPE “effectively and safely”, according to an inspection report by watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

In response, Hartford Care – which runs the facility in West Street – said it has brought in a new manager to make improvements and admitted it was “disappointed” by the findings.

“We have taken steps to rectify and address the issues outlined,” a spokeswoman for the company said, including relocating Lisa Sellens, one of its longest-serving managers, from Southampton to run the home.

The CQC reports said inspectors who visited the facility unannounced were not “fully assured” the provider was “admitting people safely to the service”.

While there were policies outlining how people should be tested before being admitted from hospital or their own home, an internal audit had revealed shortcomings.

There was a lack of recording and evidencing test results in relation to three people, and staff were not consistently checking residents or taking their temperature twice daily, as required.

The report went on: “We were not fully assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely. We did not observe donning and doffing of full PPE as no personal care was observed. Staff did not all confirm they had received training or knew the up-to-date procedures.”

A staff member also claimed to an inspector they had only just learned they should be taking their gloves and aprons off separately and washing their hands after each step. This was despite it being Public Health England guidance.

The home has 59 beds, and 39 were occupied at the time of the recent inspection.

Overall the CQC said the home was below standards in the two areas it looked into: whether the home was safe and well-led.

Other issued flagged up included staff not using medicines safely, with concerns they did not always follow processes for transcribing changes to medicines on individual records, or manage medicines according to guidance and legislation.

The report said the inspectors also received “mixed feedback” about staffing levels from staff and relatives, although there were positive comments about the care provided.

“The managers told us staffing had been a challenge due to 15 staff self-isolating after a member had tested positive for coronavirus,” the CQC report continued.

“To cover the shifts, agency staff were block-booked to work only at West Cliff Hall and received an induction into the home. This was reflected in the staff rota.”