Bupa’s shame: Faults at third of care homes

A THIRD of Bupa care homes are inadequate or require improvement, the Mail can reveal today.

The healthcare giant – which markets itself as a leading provider of elderly care – has been told it must take urgent action to bring 90 of its 238 homes in England and Wales up to scratch.

In the most serious cases, the homes – which can cost £1,000 a week to stay in – have been found to be dangerously understaffed, putting clients at risk of injuries, neglect and malnutrition.

Some families fear relatives are not safe, telling inspectors: ‘I’m just waiting for the day when something serious happens’.

A resident of a care home in Suffolk told inspectors: ‘It’s terrible, I hate every minute of it.’

The revelations come after several deaths of vulnerable residents following poor care.

Bupa is facing possible criminal charges after it emerged this month that unsafe practices allegedly led to the death of 86year-old Kenneth Ibbetson from legionnaires’ disease.

A 98-year-old was also said to have died of ‘inanition’ – the medical term for starvation – days after she was forced to leave a failing Bupa home that was being shut down.

A judge has previously branded the company ‘disgraceful’ following the case of dementia sufferer Joyce Farrow, 90, who died after neglect at an understaffed Bupa home.

Evidence of failures emerged in inspections by the healthcare watchdog. The damning reports reveal elderly residents are being left in bed all day because there are not enough staff to get them dressed and that residents are left malnourished and dehydrated, with some given just a few mouthfuls of water per day.

Bupa, founded in 1947, is one of the world’s largest private medical healthcare groups, employing 84,000 staff who serve 32million people in 190 countries.

According to its website, Bupa has 27 care homes across Scotthe land, with 15 in the Glasgow area and others from Ayr on the West Coast to St Andrews in Fife.

Care Inspectorate reports, which can be found on the official watchdog’s website, largely offer gradings for the Scots homes ranging from ‘3’ which is adequate, to 4 ‘good’, 5 ‘very good’ and 6 ‘excellent’, referring to four key areas – care and support, environment, staffing and management and leadership.

But the Mail has examined recent inspection reports for over the Border which suggest company is leaving many homes dangerously understaffed – with some guilty of multiple breaches of the law.

In some cases inspectors found Bupa homes so understaffed that elderly people were left filthy, malnourished, dehydrated and suffering pain and distress.

Residents at one home had 110 falls in only five months – with one suffering a fracture that went unnoticed for a week.

Although most Bupa staff were found to be caring, the reports found there were not enough of them to keep residents safe.

Joan Elliott, acting general manager of Bupa UK Care Services said: ‘We’re absolutely committed to providing all our residents with high-quality care.

‘Any allegations are immediately investigated and we take swift action where there are failings. Most of our care homes in England are rated positively by the Care Quality Commission.

‘We have strict staffing standards in all our homes. If we are short-staffed it is standard practice to cover shifts by bringing in additional nurses or carers.

‘Access to high-quality nurses is a continuing challenge across the care sector, so we are working with the Government to tackle this.’

The Health and Safety Executive has brought seven prosecutions of Bupa’s care homes business since 2004. It is believed to be considering criminal charges over Mr Ibbetson’s death.

‘Hate every minute of it’