Coronavirus: Deal secured on future of Clifton Nursing Home

Concerns were raised about Clifton Nursing Home's handling of a Covid-19 outbreak

An agreement has been reached on the future of the north Belfast care home which was facing closure after failing a number of inspections.

Clifton Nursing Home, which is owned by Runwood Homes, will be managed by independent provider Healthcare Ireland.

Healthcare Ireland operates 14 nursing homes across Northern Ireland.

Up to 70 residents, who were facing the upheaval of having to move facilities, may now stay at Clifton if they wish.

The failed inspections by regulator, the RQIA, were around governance, management and leadership - serious issues which were affecting the robustness of infection prevention.

On Monday, the BBC revealed there had been nine Covid-19-related deaths at the home, with a further nine residents in hospital, some of whom have Covid-19.

In a statement to the BBC on Tuesday evening, Runwood said it was pleased an agreement had been reached with Healthcare Ireland.

"We are contented with this positive decision enabling the residents to remain in their current, familiar living environment, with the same staff, ensuring continuity of care, which should remain a priority following the departure of our management."

However the statement said it was "disconcerting the health and social care trust was unwilling to continue supporting the team at Clifton Nursing Home, and work in partnership to implement the required improvements highlighted during the latest inspection in the middle of a pandemic".

The statement added: "The home, unfortunately, experienced concerning, increasing numbers of staff sickness due to the pandemic, further accentuated by external agency and trust staff unwilling to work due to the national threat of the virus' transmission rate.

"Therefore, the level of the service was impacted, greatly affecting the home's ability to fully function to the expected standards of the group and learnings have been made."

In a statement, RQIA welcomed the agreement for Healthcare Ireland to provide "an interim management arrangement", which it said aims to address "the serious concerns highlighted in RQIA's enforcement action following recent inspections of this service".

"The safety and wellbeing of every patient at Clifton Nursing Home is of paramount importance to RQIA, and we will continue to monitor this service closely during this transition period," the statement added.

'Upsetting time'

On Tuesday, the Belfast Trust apologised for the "very difficult and upsetting time for residents and their families".

This is not the first time Healthcare Ireland has stepped in to turn around a failing nursing home.

It did it in February when the Valley Nursing Home in Clogher was forced to close, and that intervention meant elderly and vulnerable people could remain in their home.

This story was changed on 27 May to clarify that the home faced closure following RQIA inspections.

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