Scots coronavirus deaths care home warned over hygiene

The home is run by HC-One, which is saying it is “doing everything” it can to keep residents and staff safe.

The site only recorded its first cases of coronavirus last Thursday, but has since seen the virus infect 30 of the 34 residents and 27 of the staff.

A number of other people are selfisolating after coming into contact with those confirmed as having picked up the virus.

The army has set-up mobile testing on the island in a bid to help track and trace anyone who may have come into contact with those affected.

It comes as Nicola Sturgeon appeared almost moved to tears in the Holyrood chamber over care home deaths as she told Labour MSP Neil Findlay not to suggest the Scottish Government is “not all trying to do everything we can to do the right thing”.

Mr Findlay “pleaded’ with the First Minister over people arriving at care homes without their Covid-19 test results.

He said: “Please stop this practice now to save the lives of residents and the people who look after them,”

She replied: “Let me be very clear we owe a deep debt of gratitude to health and care workers and it’s one that I am absolutely certain must be paid, certainly, in words and recognition, but in more than words as well.”

She stressed that those who are in hospital with Covid-19 must have two negative tests before being discharged, while those who have been in hospital for other reasons will be placed in isolation for 14 days when they enter the care home if they have not received their test results.

In the Skye case, on November 6, 2019, the Care Inspectorate made a requirement for improvement in the adherence to cleaning protocols to ensure people were not at risk.

It meant that housekeeping staff levels should be appropriate so that cleaning schedules were “consistently adhered” to throughout the premises, ensuring there is always a “clean malodour free” environment.

A Care Inspectorate report says the cleanliness requirement resulted from an upheld complaint.

The report published in January said: “People experiencing care should have confidence in the organisation and infection control policies and procedures are adhered to ensuring people are not at risk.

“In order to achieve this the provider must ensure the environment is hygienically cleaned to an acceptable standard and all areas are malodour free. “Cleaning protocols in all areas of the premises must be adhered to and regular deep cleaning is carried out.”

The requirement was to be met by December 31, but due to inadequate housekeeping staffing it was not and the timescale was then extended to March 31, 2020.

A follow-up report found there was only one member of housekeeping staff on in the morning for all the domestic duties in the whole home and there was no housekeeping staff on in the afternoon and evening.

The report added: “The housekeeping staff arrangements in the home were inadequate to ensure that the measures the service had planned and implemented to address this [cleaning] requirement had been met or were being suitable monitored and addressed.”

A spokesman for the home said they were sure the matters were resolved.

He said: “Following our most recent Care Inspectorate visit we took the appropriate action to make sure we had the highest standards of infection control across the home.

“All colleagues, including in housekeeping, completed additional training to make sure they were up to date with the latest guidance. In response to the coronavirus outbreak in the UK, which we have been planning for since February, all colleagues completed additional, specific coronavirus training and infection control training.

“We are confident the issues raised in the previous Care Inspectorate report were swiftly resolved, and that we have since had the number of housekeeping colleagues required to maintain high standards of cleanliness.”

HC-One said it has had to bring in staff from outside the island to work at the Home Farm site, as an increasing number of workers self-isolated. It comes amidst growing concern about the death rate from coronavirus in Scotland’s care homes.

The latest figures show that of the 523 deaths recorded in the week to May 3 which were linked to the virus, 59 per cent were in care homes, with 37% in hospitals.

However the number of deaths in care homes actually fell slightly, from 339 to 310.

There have also been 10 deaths due to an outbreak at the firm’s Mugdock House home in Bearsden in East Dunbartonshire.

During Prime Minister’s Questions at Westminster, Ian Blackford, MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber, described the deaths at Home Farm as “heartbreaking and devastating”. Margaret Davidson, leader of the council, said she was “profoundly sad” to hear of the outbreak.

She added: “This is a very difficult and anxious time for residents, families and staff, but I have been heartened by the response from NHS Highland and the council who have moved swiftly to support the community in Portree, which has included the deployment by the army of a mobile testing unit.

“Skye is a very close family community who will be supporting and caring for one another and I just wanted them to know that the council and its partners will do all we can to help and support them at this time.”

A Home Farm spokesman said:“Our thoughts and sympathies are with the families who have lost loved ones from coronavirus and we are doing our utmost to support them during this difficult time.

“Caring for our residents and supporting our colleagues is at the heart of what we do, and we are doing everything we can to make sure our residents and colleagues stay safe and well throughout these challenging times.

“We are proud of our colleagues and their courage in rising to the coronavirus outbreak by showing huge dedication and commitment to our Residents.

“We are providing round-the-clock support for all our teams, and we are also grateful to relatives for their ongoing support and understanding."

Margaret Davidson, leader of the council said she was "profoundly sad" to hear of the Home Farm care home outbreak and that "my thoughts are very much with those who have lost loved ones".

She added: “This is a very difficult and anxious time for residents, families and staff, but I have been heartened by the response from NHS Highland and the council who have moved swiftly to support the community in Portree which has included the deployment by the army of a mobile testing unit.

"Skye is a very close family community who will be supporting and caring for one another and I just wanted them to know that the council and its partners will do all we can to help and support them at this time.”