Care home investigated after elderly residents 'hospitalised'

A care home is being investigated after claims that poor standards led to elderly residents being hospitalised.

The Care Inspectorate said concerns over Golfhill Care Home in Glasgow were raised following an inspection in October.

Then, in a follow-up inspection, they noted that “insufficient improvement” had been made.

The story first emerged after a whistleblower told the Herald newspaper that residents had suffered serious conditions which led to hospitalisations.

Golfhill Care Home said it was “cooperating fully” with the process to ensure that it meets all regulatory standards.

A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: “An inspection at this service in October raised concerns about the quality of care experienced by people and we identified five areas for improvement.

“A follow up inspection was recently carried out and we found the service had made insufficient improvement on the concerns identified.

“Due to our continuing concerns we have now issued an Improvement Notice which lists the improvements we must see.

“If we are not satisfied that swift and sustained improvement is made in the quality of care experienced by residents we will not hesitate to take further action.

“We understand this is a really worrying time for residents and their loved ones. We are monitoring this service closely.

“Everyone in Scotland has the right to good quality, safe care. Anyone with a concern about a care service can contact us on 0345 600 9527.”

In a statement, Golfhill Care Home said: “The safety and wellbeing of our residents is our highest priority at all times.

“Like many care homes across the country, the home has faced challenges in terms of recruitment during the pandemic.

“We can confirm that the home is currently the subject of a large-scale investigation and we are cooperating fully with that process to ensure that the home meets all regulatory standards.

“Our dedicated and compassionate care teams have worked tirelessly throughout this pandemic to provide quality care for the residents, and they will continue to do so in the months ahead.

“Meanwhile, we continue to work closely with our partners in the local Health and Social Care Partnership, Health Protection Scotland and the Care Inspectorate.”