'Rotting window' and 'uncollected rubbish' among issues at Newcastle care home rated 'inadequate' for over a year
A Newcastle care home remains in special measures following another Care Quality Commission inspection branding it "inadequate".
Bowland Lodge in Benwell was most recently visited by inspectors between April and July this year - with the regulator's team finding "two continuing breaches" of regulations when it comes to the home's governance. Issues identified included "a lack of effective oversight" of medicines and safety issues in the building.
However, management at Bowland Lodge - operated by Ram Perkesh Malhotra and Darshen Kumar Malhotra - said they felt that since the inspection, which was conducted primarily in April, "significant improvements have been made". In a statement, managers said that this had been confirmed by an independent review produced by a consultancy firm.
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After this inspection, the home has been rated inadequate when it comes to safety and when it comes to being well-led. It has been rated requires improvement for being effective - while areas relating to being caring and being responsive remain rated as requires improvement. As a result, the overall rating is still inadequate and the home remains in special measures.
A number of previous inspections have produced the same result - and the CQC is currently taking further regulatory action. The home was put into special measures in 2023 - and there have now been three further inspection visits where CQC inspectors have not seen fit to change the home's rating from inadequate.
There is also, according to HM Courts and Tribunals Service,to be a Care Standards Tribunal hearing in January 2025.
The CQC team highlighted how managers "did not understand" their regulatory responsibilities, care plans "weren't always consistent" and equipment wasn't always clean. However, the inspectors did note that the "culture with the home was improving" and that staff supported residents to access necessary health and care services.
Linda Hirst, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said: "When we inspected Bowland Lodge, it was disappointing that despite some improvements being made since we last inspected, we continued to identify shortfalls that compromised people’s safety and wellbeing regarding medicines and risk management, and the safety of the environment.
“It was concerning that leaders hadn’t fixed some safety issues since our last inspection which could place people at risk of harm. These included a rotting and leaking window, unsafe access to the rear of the building, uncollected rubbish and an insecure drain cover. There was also an exposed circuit board in the passenger lift, a large crack in the lounge ceiling and a broken hoist in a bedroom.
“We also found medicine records with no dosage instructions and anomalies with stock counts which could place people at risk of receiving incorrect dosages. Some medicines in fridges were out of date and shouldn’t have been used."
However, Ms Hirst said there was evidence of improvement work and said: "Progress had been made but further work was needed. Improvements were underway including an upgraded medicines treatment room, more accurate record keeping, completing essential maintenance and updating the environment.
“It was also positive that leaders had introduced a new digital care planning system which assessed and organised people’s care needs. Staff gave positive feedback about the registered manager’s leadership and changes they had made."
Ms Hirst said leaders had been told to make "rapid, widespread" improvements and the home would continue to be monitored closely.
A statement from the home's management said: "We acknowledge the findings of the CQC's inspection report regarding Bowland Lodge from the inspection conducted in April. We would like to highlight that this report is from a CQC visit held 6 months ago and we no longer feel this accurately reflects our current status.
"Since that inspection, significant improvements have been made, as confirmed by a recent review from a highly-rated independent consultancy firm. Based on their feedback, we are confident that our efforts have resulted in positive changes in safety, leadership, and effectiveness, ensuring we are now safe and compliant. Furthermore, we have recently undergone another CQC inspection, and we are hopeful that it will affirm the progress we have made.
"We continue to prioritise the safety and well-being of our residents and are confident that our ongoing efforts reflect this commitment. We look forward to working closely with the CQC to ensure continued compliance and high-quality care moving forward."
A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said "The CQC carried out an inspection of Bowland Lodge in April under their new inspection regime with some areas for improvement identified. Since then we have continued to work closely with the provider and carried out monthly monitoring visits. The home has made significant progress against the risks identified.
"The health and wellbeing of residents is our priority and we will continue working with the provide to make sure they continue to improve and that the people who live at Bowland Lodger are kept safe."