Covid-19: Walton-on-the-Naze care home 'ill prepared' for outbreak

Blenheim Care Home did not have systems in place to manage the risk of Covid-19, according to the CQC

A care home with a "high number" of Covid-19 infections and deaths was ill prepared for the outbreak, placing residents at "significant exposure to the risk of harm", inspectors found.

Failings at Blenheim Care Home in Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, had "significant consequences", the Care Quality Commission (CQC) discovered.

Operator Regal Care Trading would not tell the BBC the number of deaths.

But it said a subsequent CQC report had noted improvements.

'Significant concerns'

The details emerged in the home's most recent inspection report, which graded services overall as "inadequate".

It referred to previous inspections on 3 and 4 March, however, which found poor care and "significant shortfalls in management".

It disclosed how, six months prior to the pandemic, the CQC and Essex County Council had "significant concerns" about the "lack of systems" and leadership at the home in Kirby Road.

"When the pandemic came, the service was ill prepared to manage the outbreak, resulting in significant consequences for the service, people and staff," it said.

"The service had a high number of infections and deaths due to Covid-19."

Even after the March inspections, Regal Care Trading failed to recognise poor oversight, which led to shortcomings in infection control, poor care and unsafe use of equipment.

"They have continually blamed Covid 19 on the failings at the service and not the preceding poor management and provider lack of oversight," the report said.

Complaints from three families have also been escalated to the Local Government Ombudsman.

'Appropriate systems'

At the time of the March inspection, 37 elderly people were living at the facility. By May that figure had reduced to 18.

According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 45 registered Covid-19 deaths in care homes across Tendring between the start of the pandemic and 30 October.

This figure does not include any care home residents who may been among 125 people from the district who died in hospital over the same period.

In a statement, Regal Care Trading said: "It is true that a number of residents previously became infected and, although some have recovered, unfortunately a few residents died in the home and in local hospital due to Covid-19 related complications.

"The home did, and continues to, work openly and transparently with the local GP, CQC, safeguarding team, district nurses and the local authority to ensure that residents' physical health needs were met during this period.

"At the time of the recent inspection, CQC noted that the home has appropriate systems and processes in place in relation to infection prevention and control".

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