Care home 'enhancing' practices after man's death

Amberley Hall Care Home in King's Lynn, which has space for 106 residents, is rated as inadequate by government inspectors

A company that runs seven care homes across the East of England says additional training recommendations for staff have been made after the death of a man.

Geoffrey Whatling, who was 82, died on 26 April 2023 after becoming unwell at Amberley Hall in King's Lynn, Norfolk.

Norfolk's senior coroner Jacqueline Lake took the unusual step of issuing a prevention of further deaths report in October, ahead of this week's inquest, because she had concerns about his care and did not believe hourly observations had been taken.

Athena Care Homes said it was "continually" reviewing and enhancing its care practices.

Mr Whatling, a retired farm worker had gone to the home, run by Athena Care Homes, on 14 March last year to recover after treatment for a hip injury at the town's Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

On 8 April he became more unwell and his family began asking for doctors to see him.

An on-call GP said he should be watched closely with observations every hour, including blood pressure readings.

The coroner said she did not accept evidence, given by team leaders working at Amberley Hall, that his blood pressure had been taken hourly overnight.

Concerns raised

An NHS protocol was not followed that should have meant 999 was called for Mr Whatling when his vital signs showed he was seriously ill.

He was admitted to hospital on 10 April, two days after concerns were initially raised about his worsening health.

After an initial improvement in his condition he suffered a suspected gastrointestinal bleed and died 16 days after arriving at hospital.

The coroner concluded he died of natural causes and had had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbated by infection and frailty.

Senior coroner Jacqueline Lake said the failure to monitor Mr Whatling had not led to his death

The home is rated as inadequate by Care Quality Commission industry regulator.

Athena runs another care home in King's Lynn as well as homes in Cambridge, March, Ipswich and Peterborough.

A spokesperson for Amberley Hall said the safety and well-being of residents was the utmost priority.

"We continually review and enhance our care practices based on feedback, regulatory requirements, and best practices in the sector," they said.

They confirmed additional training had been recommended throughout the company in light of Mr Whatling's death and that they offered their deepest sympathies to his family.