Call led to care home investigations

Evelyn Jones was one the patients at the care home whose family raised concerns

Just over ten years ago I received a phone call from a contact who had to remain anonymous. That person asked me a question: "What would you do if you saw someone neglecting your parents in a care home?"

Obviously, like anyone else, I said I would report it to the authorities, I would make sure the owner and the staff knew exactly how I felt and I'd get my parents out of there.

"Yes, all that's been done and it's still going on," I was told. "This is a massive issue, it needs to be exposed because not everyone has relatives who can do that for them."

Week In Week Out began examining the evidence. The care home was called Holly House, a large building set in its own grounds in Fleur de Lys near Blackwood and it was run by Dr Prana Das, a well-known local GP.

I rang back my source: "Are you sure about this? The guy is a doctor. They take a Hippocratic Oath to protect life and to do their best for patients." "Yes, absolutely sure - keep looking," I was told.

What we eventually found was appalling stories from families whose loved ones had been let down so badly in their last days. We heard from sons and daughters who had watched their parents treated with a lack of respect and dignity and in some cases poor care, not directly by Dr Das, but by people he employed.

Dr Prana Das was a local GP who ran two of the care homes investigated

The Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW) had already pointed out the obvious. This place was failing the older people who had been entrusted to the care of Dr Das and his colleagues.

Not everyone who worked there did a bad job, but some certainly fell short of expectation both professionally and I'd say morally. Every time we heard a story about a failure, I'd ask that same basic question again - "What would I do if that was my parents? "

It became a mantra throughout our investigation.

It was also the question our reporter on that programme, Penny Roberts, asked the then director of Social Services for Caerphilly. The answer was: "Personally, no I wouldn't [leave them there]." So why then was it OK for others to be left in there?

Well the law said it was OK; that because Dr Das was still a registered care home provider, and because he had appealed against the CSSIW's application to close his place down due to the shortcomings it had found, he could continue trading. The home could only be shut down if the panel examining the CSSIW's decision ruled against him.

In the meantime, many of the people who mattered most, the extremely vulnerable and elderly residents, remained there or were moved to another of his homes.

We interviewed Dr Das. He agreed to meet us at another of his care homes in the Gwent valleys where he welcomed us. We told him we wanted to put very important points to him about allegations of serious failures at Holly House and other care homes he had run, about sons and daughters who said their parents' lives had been made a misery by the failures in care, by a lack of dignity and basic care in some instances.

Dr Das could not recall all the names of the people he and his company was accused of failing but he did tell us he was very proud of the work he had done in the community. He said: "The failures you are talking about, no matter how much you do, some people you cannot make 100% happy."

He simply refused to accept the criticisms we made, but also the failures highlighted time and time again in CSSIW inspection reports. He also seemed oblivious to the irony that any of those things could have happened on his watch - as a doctor.

Ongoing cases

In all Week In Week Out made three programmes about this issue - we were a voice for the people who hadn't been listened to. Tragically some of the residents couldn't speak - they couldn't articulate their feelings or distress. We were committed to exposing what had gone wrong.

It took many years to bring charges against Dr Das as part of the Operation Jasmine investigation but he has never been tried in a court of law.

For the families who desperately wanted answers and justice for their loved ones - there has never been a satisfactory conclusion. Those who spoke to us about watching their parents suffering lost not just precious, quality time with their loved ones at the end of their lives. They also lost the chance to call Dr Das to account for why it happened.

He was left unfit to stand trial after burglars attacked him at his luxury home. He suffered a brain injury and so the multi-million pound case against him and his former colleague Paul Black was dropped.

There are ongoing Nursing and Midwifery Council hearings into the conduct of a number of nurses who worked at the home.

As journalists we could never pretend to know what the right medical or nursing intervention should be for a sick, elderly person - but any and every one of us can and must always ask: "Would it be good enough for my Mam or Dad." And if the answer is no then it needs to change.