19.09.18
CQC urgently shuts care home over ‘risk of harm to patients’
Residents of Horncastle House were forced to leave after the CQC shut down the Sussex care home due to “ineffective” care and a “risk of harm” to patients.
The health inspectorate said they had no choice but to take urgent enforcement action to protect the people still living at the care home in East Grinstead, West Sussex as a result of the latest inspection.
Patients were given a matter of hours to pack and leave after the CQC found significant and ongoing issues over ineffective care services and insufficient staff to meet people’s care needs to the extent that patients were “exposed to the risk of harm.”
Deputy chief inspector of adult social care, Deborah Ivanova, said: “Over a period of time we have called for significant improvements, but to date the action of the provider has been ineffective.
“We have no confidence that that the provider will take appropriate action – and we can’t leave people at risk of harm.”
She added: “We appreciate that this has been a difficult time for everyone involved.
“Our first priority is always the welfare of the people who are living in care services and we will continue to work closely with West Sussex County Council, who are supporting people who were in Horncastle House and their families to find new services that meet their needs.”
West Sussex CC have said that all residents were found replacement accommodation, but there were dramatic scenes at the care home when it was shut down.
Horncastle House was rated inadequate following two previous inspections in March and August but CQC inspectors visited the care home on Thursday 13 September after further concerns about the standard of care and a potential risk to residents.
Back in August, the CQC reported that there was no registered manager in post, not enough staff deployed to meet people’s needs, and a lack of proper monitoring for residents at risk of choking.
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