'Ashamed' care home boss suspended from nursing

The manager of the home resigned after the damning CQC report

The manager of a care home where residents were said to be at risk of malnutrition and dehydration has been suspended from nursing.

Mrs Clare Sullivan told a disciplinary hearing she was "ashamed" of the litany of concerns raised by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) about the standards of care at Cressington Court Care Home, Liverpool in April 2022.

The home, on Beechwood Road, was put into special measures when the CQC found that people were not bathed for up to four weeks, and that one person had lost more than six stone (38 kg) in a six-month period.

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) revoked the registration of Mrs Sullivan, who quit her job at the home after the CQC inspection.

The CQC investigation rated as inadequate the home, which provided nursing and personal care for up to 56 residents.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service wrote that the NMC fitness to practise hearing heard Mrs Sullivan, who had been a practising nurse since 2008, admitted dozens of charges against her.

These included failing:

• to ensure a catheter was changed appropriately,

• to ensure fire doors were able to close properly in residents' rooms

• to maintain the emergency call bell

• to complete audits of drug stock.

Mrs Sullivan, who had worked in care for more than two decades and became the registered manager at Cressington in 2018, told the NMC panel that when she joined things were "not as they seemed", the home was in a lot of disrepair, the record keeping system was paper-based, and the majority of the nursing staff were agency nurses or self-employed.

'Completely stressed'

The CQC inspection found Mrs Sullivan was "completely overwhelmed" and "completely stressed".

Mrs Sullivan told the NMC panel she felt ashamed she did not take more action, and had let residents down.

She added she was extremely remorseful for any harm that came to residents as a result of her failure.

Mr Sullivan also said: "They lost faith in the whole sector. They trusted me, us all, to do our best.

"We failed them at that. I am ashamed I've become that person…"

Mrs Sullivan added: "It's hard enough as it is to leave your loved ones and you expect them to be cared for. It's heartbreaking for them being told that their precious family hadn't been cared for in the best way…"

The NMC panel suspended her registration for three months and noted her previous experience without any regulatory concerns or disciplinary action, and could not identify anything which may suggest a deep-seated attitude affecting care.

The report added: "You are highly unlikely to repeat your misconduct."