Brithdir: Care neglect accused Dr Prana Das 'did not help police'

Prana Das was attacked in his home in September 2012 and died last year

A doctor at the centre of one of Wales' biggest inquiries into care home neglect and fraud refused to engage with police during interviews, an inquest heard.

Dr Prana Das had been investigated over seven residents' deaths at former Brithdir Nursing Home in New Tredegar.

The inquest follows the £11m Operation Jasmine inquiry into neglect claims at this and five other homes he owned.

Dr Das died last year without facing trial, the Newport hearing was told.

During police questioning in 2007, Dr Das answered no comment to most questions in relation to theft and false accounting offences.

Operation Jasmine was set up in the wake of the deaths of residents at Brithdir, between 2003 and 2005.

'Doctor for 30 years'

However, all charges against Dr Das were left to lie on file after he suffered permanent brain damage during a violent burglary at his home in 2012, and died eight years later.

The inquest into his death heard how he was questioned by South Wales Police in relation to the running of 22 homes across south Wales run by his company Puretruce.

He confirmed with officers that he had "been a doctor for 30 years, and qualified in India".

The inquest into deaths at the care home comes after a major police investigation

He was asked about allegations that he had asked for the invoices of six self-funding patients to be changed from Puretruce's account to his own personal account.

In response he said "all cheques paid to my private account were then put into the Puretruce account", the hearing was told.

However, he then refused to answer questions about whether he was involved in the administration of the care homes or speaking to families.

Health and safety officials had identified numerous breaches at the care homes he owned, over a decade-long period.

Involuntary manslaughter

Once inspections started in 1995, "it soon became clear that standards across the group were generally poor", evidence from Health and Safety Executive Inspector Stephen Coppell showed.

The inquest also heard evidence from police interviews given by Peter Smith, a former manager and registered nurse at Brithdir between 2002 and 2003, who has also since died.

Mr Smith had been arrested on suspicion of the involuntary manslaughter and wilful neglect of some of the residents in 2005, including Evelyn Jones and Edith Evans.

He was never charged.

Evelyn Jones was one of the care home residents whose family raised concerns

When asked about a pressure sore on Ms Jones' back - described by one nurse as "the worst wound I have seen for some time" - he said there was "no evidence from any staff that there was any malodorous element to this".

Mr Smith was also asked about Ms Evans, who was admitted to hospital with an MRSA infected wound around a feeding tube to her stomach.

When the ambulance arrived, one of the care assistants told the paramedic they "keep reporting [the wound] to the qualified staff but nothing seems to be done'.

• Care home nurse 'struggled to cope'

• Neglect left care home residents 'malnourished'

The inquest was also read a statement from Alun Owen, a retired mental health nurse.

Mr Owen started work in 2002 at Holly House care home in Fleur-de-Lys near Blackwood, also owned by Dr Das.

But after two years he reported Dr Das to Care Inspectorate Wales because agency staff refused to work because their wages were not being paid.

He also raised concerns about a lack of equipment and was repeatedly told by Paul Black, the chief executive of Puretruce, that it was on order. 

The inquest is also looking at the deaths of Stanley James, 89, June Hamer, 71, Stanley Bradford, 76, Edith Evans, 85, and William Hickman, 71.

A hearing into the death of a seventh resident, Matthew Higgins, 86, will be held following the conclusion of the other six.

The hearings are expected to last until next month.