Care workers criticise their bosses over ‘virus deaths’
CARE workers at a residential home for the elderly in East Dunbartonshire have criticised management over its handling of a suspected coronavirus outbreak after nine residents died with symptoms of the illness.
Three members of staff, who spoke to The Herald anonymously, said they had “serious concerns” about infection control at Springvale Care Home in Lennoxtown.
They said nine residents had passed away with Covid-19 symptoms but that new admissions had continued and staff were working without protective gear.
At the time of speaking to The Herald last week, they said seven residents had died while another was gravely ill with possible Covid19, but families of residents had not been told about the risk.
It is understood two more residents have died over the weekend.
The Care Inspectorate confirmed that concerns had been raised.
All three whistleblowers said they had been told they were overreacting by asking for protective masks and were warned against speaking out. One said: “I have serious concerns about the way Springvale Care Home have been conducting themselves in relation to a Covid-19 outbreak.
“To my knowledge there have been seven deaths and as many residents with symptoms who are very unwell.
“I am disgusted that with all this happening, the management at Springvale are still admitting residents from a sister care home. These residents’ families have no idea about the outbreak and are happily sending their loved ones to this potential danger.
“Also management have not actively been taking measures to ensure that this virus doesn’t spread. Even after confirmed cases
staff have been moved around units. The management have been playing the situation down and telling staff it’s ridiculous that we are asking for masks and that this virus is not airborne, so as long as we wash our hands we will be fine.”
Last week, a second staff member confirmed there had been seven deaths in two weeks and that another resident was “dying as we speak”, with a number of others showing symptoms.
The employee added: “A new resident was brought in yesterday. She was vomiting as she came through the doors and was spitting and her clothes had spit and sick on them also.
“We have all been told to keep hush about the Covid-19 and if we mention it, it’s breach of our contracts.”
A third said the woman who was being sick had been brought in by escorts “all kitted up” in protective gear.
Springvale Care Home is owned by Buckinghamshire-based Care Concern Group.
The most recent inspection scored the facility as “adequate” on leadership, staffing, care plans, and wellbeing, and “good” for setting.
Local MSP Rona Mackay wrote to Paul Beaumont, the managing director of Care Concern Group, asking whether any residents had died from Covid-19.
In an email he said the firm’s “legal obligations under GDPR”– data protection law – meant he was unable to disclose this information.
He added: “As an elderly care home, we do very regrettably see residents passing away both within the home under our care and after being transferred to hospital under the care of the NHS; we are not always made aware of what is finally entered as a cause of death on the death certificate.”
He confirmed that residents were being transferred into Springvale from their sister care home in Glasgow, but that this pre-dated the pandemic and was “now completed”.
Mr Beaumont also stated that “all our staff are equipped with PPE when barrier nursing a suspected or confirmed Covid-19 resident”.
Ms Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, said: “I am extremely concerned about the lack of transparency... There is absolutely no excuse for it and my constituents are rightly worried. My enquiry to Springvale was immediately passed to the Care Concern group’s head office in Buckinghamshire and the response was less than helpful.
“Relatives of residents in Springvale must have access to all information and the staff must not be put at risk.”
It comes amid concern that care homes across the UK are becoming a deadly breeding ground for the virus.
Nine residents at the Tranent Care Home in East Lothian died in the space of 10 days in a suspected outbreak. It follows similar tragedies at the Burlington Court Care Home in Glasgow, where 16 residents have died, and Castleview Care Home in Dumbarton, where eight residents passed away with virus symptoms.
Care home residents are not routinely tested for Covid-19, but care workers are eligible for testing and Covid-19 can be listed as “presumed” cause of death without a laboratory confirmation.
A spokeswoman for the Care Inspectorate said: “Concerns have been raised with us about this care service. We are working closely with the service and health teams to ensure they get the support they need during this time.”
In a statement, Springvale Care Home said: “This is an extremely difficult time for staff, residents and their families and friends.
“Their health, safety and wellbeing are of paramount importance, as such, we are committed to doing everything we can to achieve this.
“Naturally, we are extremely conscious of both our moral obligations to respect the needs and wishes of all families and friends together with our legal obligations under GDPR, we will therefore be unable to share any details resulting to individual residents.
“What we can say is that as an elderly care home, we do very regrettably see residents passing away both within the home under our care and after being transferred to hospital under the care of the NHS.
“The Care Inspectorate... are fully aware of all such events and can be contacted to provide further information.
“We continue to work with and assist the Health and Social Care Partnership with the provision of beds to improve much needed capacity within NHS hospitals.
“The home has sufficient PPE to deal with any outbreak. All our staff are equipped with PPE when barrier nursing a suspected or confirmed Covid-19 resident, in addition and in line with freshly issued guidelines, the home is providing PPE to staff who wish to wear this throughout their shift.”
Meanwhile, it has emerged that eldery people died after contracting coronavirus at a Glasgow care home next to another run by the same company where staff raised concerns about social distancing adherence.
The parent company of Almond Court care home in Drumchapel declined to confirm the exact number of deaths but said it was “significantly fewer” than a figure of 11 passed on to the Glasgow Times, our sister paper.
It comes after a worker at the neighbouring Almond View care home raised concerns over adherence to social distancing rules and the supply of PPE.
A spokesman for Holmes Care said: “The welfare of our residents and team members is our foremost priority We have robust infection control procedures in place throughout our home, which have been approved by the relevant authorities.
“This includes exercising social distancing, and we have a good supply of PPE.”