Block on new care home residents is still in place
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A NURSING home is still barred from taking in new residents – seven months after NHS Highland and care inspectors launched an inquiry into standards of care.
Admissions at Fairfield Care Home in Inverness were suspended in February, days after five residents died of flu-related illnesses in the space of a week.
NHS Highland said the investigation had come to an end.
A spokeswoman said while care was at an "acceptable standard" for current residents, and things had improved, a decision had been taken to not make any new placements until social workers were fully satisfied that there was a high quality of care and support at the Fairfield Road premises.
Police Scotland confirmed no criminal investigation was carried out.
The home is still under ownership of Taj Manda. He has brought in external consultants to manage the improvements.
A written statement from the care home said: "The home has made significant improvements working alongside stakeholders. Manda Healthcare is committed to ensuring that these improvements are sustainable to ensure the wellbeing and safety of the residents which is paramount."
A next of kin to one of the five residents who died in the last week of January said he regretted that his mother, who had been transferred from New Craigs Hospital into the care home, had had to spend her last days there.
The man, who asked not to be named, said no-one from the care home attended her funeral, and as far as he knew no-one in the family had received a letter of condolence from staff at the care home who had cared for her.
"It would have been nice if someone had just said we enjoyed having her and she enjoyed being here.
"Even if it was just a bunch of lies, it would have been nice to have had correspondence to that effect," he said.
NHS Highland said it was working with the home owner and an external consultant "to support the necessary improvements in the care and structure of the home and some significant progress has been made in this respect".
A spokeswoman said: "We will only place new residents in the home once we are fully assured that the quality of service that we have insisted upon can be sustained in the long term.
"NHS Highland adult social care will continue to monitor and support the delivery of care at Fairfield Care Home with residents and families being kept up to date appropriately."
A spokesman for the Care Inspectorate said: "We have been closely monitoring this care home and subsequent visits by inspectors have found that the care provider has made progress.
"The Care Inspectorate and NHS Highland continue to work closely with the care provider to ensure that the care provided continues to improve, that progress is sustained."
