‘Furious and hurt’ by claims at care home

BOSSES of a Dundee care home whe re 11 people died have issued an open letter hitting back at “false accusations” levelled at its care.

Hudson Healthcare, which operates Pitkerro Care Centre, has published statements from one worker and one bereaved relative who claim they are “furious and hurt” over accusations management failed to protect staff and residents from Covid-19.

A nurse has died from coronavirus, while three other residents died having tested negative for it. The causes of a further seven residents’ deaths are yet to be determined.

But a statement by Pam Sinclair, whose mother lived at Pitkerro for six months and died a few days ago, praised the “incredible team” for its “strength, dignity and compassion” but added: “Reading these lies and speculations has made me incredibly angry. Pitkerro staff are working tirelessly, putting in 12 and a half hour shifts, to ensure they continue to provide the highest quality of care.

“They have chosen this profession because they care – putting themselves on the front line, at risk. My heart goes out to the staff who must feel so undervalued.”

Dawn Soutar, an activities coordinator said: “People are so obsessed with numbers. Five deaths in this home, seven deaths in that. They forget that every single one of those deaths was a person, with a family who could not see them in their final days.

“I don’t know why these people keep repeating wrong information in the press and on social media. What I do know is that the dozens of staff I talk to every day are, just like me, furious and hurt.

“We have had enough. We know we are keeping residents’ families updated as best we can. We know we have the right PPE. We know we are doing everything we can. But it seems other people think they know better than us.”

Neither statement specifies what elements of previous news reports were false or inaccurate.

Three members of staff, including one who resigned and reported the home to the Care Inspectorate, have spoken to the Tele.

One claimed she had been told to continue working despite testing positive for Covid-19, while another said the home failed to provide sufficient PPE. Hudson Healthcare has denied any wrongdoing, stating it followed safety guidance “every step of the way”.

Pitkerro Care Home