Care home giant faces legal action over residents’ Covid-19 deaths

THE biggest care home operator in the UK is facing potential legal action from families of residents who died with coronavirus.

Law firm Leigh Day said it is investigating action regarding HC-One over allegations ‘systemic failings’ at its homes led to Covid deaths that could have been avoided.

Richard Meeran, a partner at Leigh Day who is representing the families, said it has questions over the true scale of virus deaths in care homes in England and Scotland.

One of the families involved is that of Colin Harris, one of ten residents who died during a coronavirus outbreak at the Home Farm care home in Portree, Skye, in May, in which 30 residents and 29 staff tested positive.

HC-One, which has more than 300 care homes across the UK, including 55 in Scotland, operated the home at the time.

The Care Inspectorate launched a court case seeking cancellation of the home’s registration after an inspection in May raised ‘serious concerns’. The action was dropped after the Care Inspectorate said ‘considerable improvements’ had been made. Last week, NHS Highland bought the home with £900,000 of Government funding.

A spokesman for HC-One said: ‘As a responsible provider, which pays all UK taxes due and works constructively with regulatory and enforcement agencies, any claims will be referred to our insurers.’