NEW CARE HOME SHOCK RESIDENTS AT BALLYMENA FACILITY SHARE UNDERWEAR
OCTOBER 15, 2014: Health inspectors visit Dunmurry Manor — just months after it opened and after the South Eastern Trust raised concerns about the facility — and uncovered a series of failings, including insufficiently experienced staff, not enough staff on duty to meet the needs of residents, and concerns about wound care.
As a result of the issues raised during the inspection, management voluntarily agreed to cease admissions for nursing patients
from October 17 until the areas identified had been effectively addressed.
OCTOBER 21, 2016: Rose Court, known as Rose Martha at the time, is issued with a failure to comply notice amid concerns that the way the facility was being run was putting residents at risk of harm. The notice was lifted on November 25, 2016.
OCTOBER 26, 2016: Dunmurry Manor is hit with a failure to comply notice by health inspectors
after they raised concerns about staffing issues at the home. The notice was applied again on January 5, 2017 and lifted at the end of the month.
NOVEMBER 10, 2016: Health inspectors issue a notice of failure to comply with regulations at Ashbrooke Care Home in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh. This were extended in January 2017, and finally lifted in February 2017.
AUGUST 21, 2017: Ashbrooke Care Home is closed by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA). The regulators took the unprecedented step after describing failings at the home as “the worst ever seen by inspectors”.
SEPTEMBER 14, 2017: Runwood Homes lodges an appeal against the decision to close Ashbrooke Care Home.
FEBRUARY 27, 2018: Glenabbey Manor in Glengormley told to close to new admissions amid serious concerns over residents’ welfare. Standards were raised sufficiently
by March 27 to allow the home to begin taking in new residents again.
APRIL 9, 2018:
Runwood Homes withdraws its appeal against the decision to close Ashbrooke Care Home. The matter is officially dismissed by the chair of the Care Tribunal on April 13.
MAY 9 AND 11, 2018: RQIA inspectors raise concerns about wound care and infection control during a visit to Dunmurry Manor. A number of recommendations were made to raise standards although no enforcement action was taken.
JUNE 12, 2018: Department of Health publishes findings of its own review of standards at Dunmurry Manor and finds care being delivered there is safe.
JUNE 13, 2018: Eddie Lynch (left), the Commissioner for Older People in Northern Ireland, publishes the findings of his 16-month investigation into conditions at Dunmurry Manor which revealed a catalogue of shocking neglect and abuse.
JUNE 19, 2018: Health officials announce an outbreak of the killer superbug C difficile at Dunmurry Manor.
LISA SMYTH