Relative of Temple Court survivor says health and social care authorities have questions to answer

Northamptonshire’s NHS and adult social services have questions to answer, says a relative whose father was one of the Temple Court survivors.

Simon Bennett, whose father Robert had been cared for at Temple Court since December 2018, says he is not comfortable with the written assertion made to him from NHS and adult social care bosses that the care standards at the nursing home were not due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

The care home insists the failings detailed today by a damning Care Quality Commission report were down to the effects of the epidemic which tore through care homes across the country and to date has claimed the lives of more than 10,000 elderly residents.

15 patients were discharged into the Albert Street home as part of a mass hospital discharge programme coordinated by Northamptonshire CCG and the adult social services on March 19.

Nine days later on March 28 the first resident sent in from the NHS died of Covid-19 and within a few weeks 16 residents had died with the virus.

A decision was made to move the surviving 21 residents on May 12.

Simon’s father, who has Alzheimer’s and lived at the 54-bed home since December 2018, was one of the survivors and was moved into another care home in Corby when Temple Court was closed down.

On May 14 Simon’s family received a joint letter from the chief nurse at Northamptonshire CCG Angela Dempsey and Catherine O’Rourke, adult social care assistant director, which said:

“Since the 1 May 2020 Northamptonshire County Council and Northamptonshire CCG became aware of concerns relating to effective care practice, including clinical care, at Temple Court. Throughout this time health and social care partners have been working together to review the delivery of care and provide support for the provider to take prompt improvement action.

“Unfortunately, the standard of care at Temple Court continued to decline. Additional action was taken to guide safe delivery of care by placing nursing staff from Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust (NHFT) and carers from the Council-owned Olympus Care Services within the home. While this enabled some stability, health and social care partners continue to have substantial safeguarding concerns about the ability of the provider to lead safe and effective care within Temple Court.

“It is important to clarify that concerns about standard of care at Temple Court are not directly related to the Coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic.

NCC and Northamptonshire CCG take concerns about the standard of care very seriously and remain focused on ensuring that people receive good-quality care that is person-centred, well-led and above all safe. As you will be aware due to the substantial safeguarding concerns a decision was made to undertake an immediate review of the health and social care needs of everyone living at Temple Court as part of an overall approach to identify and enable transfers to alternative care settings. We understand that news of this action may be both unsettling and distressing for you and your loved one. Please be assured that this action is being taken to ensure that people remain safe and protected while also considering individual best interests.”

Simon said his family had minor quibbles with his father’s care at Temple Court but that the last time he saw him before lockdown in March ‘he looked fit and well’.

Speaking before he read today’s report he said: “I do think health and social care have questions to answer. I am not here to praise Temple Court, but the focus has to be on the last 12 weeks.

“It was very late for the CQC to come in on May 12. The stable door had closed and residents had died.

“We, along with most relatives, got a call one hour before from social services to say my father was moving, and there was no consultation.

“What happened on May 1 that made them (NHS and adult social services) say this is bad.”

CQC inspectors arrived at the home on May 12 and despite the involvement of NHS and adult social care staff, there were still found to be failings. Some residents were malnourished and thirsty and inspectors found an unhygienic kitchen with full bins and a dirty fridge. They also witnessed PPE not being disposed of properly – at a time when Covid was rampant in care homes.

The CQC report found serious care failings and that some residents were harmed. A police investigation is ongoing.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service put Mr Bennett’s questions to the NHS CCG and adult social services which is run by Northamptonshire County Council, but they chose to issue an old statement. The authorities will also not say whether patients sent into the home from the hospitals had been tested for the virus.

They said: “As in all cases where concerns are raised about quality of care provision, our first priority is the wellbeing of residents.

“All residents of Temple Court residential and nursing care home have now been moved to new placements elsewhere to ensure that no one is at risk, and in line with our standard practice a multi-agency investigation has begun into the issues raised.

“With enquiries under way, it would not be appropriate to comment further at this time.”