Apology for Dunmurry Manor families but NI Health Dept says words alone "not enough"
Permanent Secretary announces series of measures to address concerns
Northern Ireland’s Permanent Health Secretary today apologised to the “let down” families at the centre of the Dunmurry Manor Care Home scandal.
But Richard Pengelly said “words alone were not enough”.
In a statement from the Department of Health NI, Mr Pengelly announced a series of measures including an independent review as well as a public campaign, scoping exercise and workshop to address concerns and help make subsequent improvements.
He said: “In publicly saying sorry to residents and families who were let down, I must acknowledge that words alone are not enough.
“Action must, and will, be taken to ensure that failings are not repeated.”
But he said that the main responsibility for care and standards in independent sector homes was with the care provider but that Dunmurry Manor had to serve as a “stark reminder to the HSC system of its important responsibilities”
Mr Pengelly was speaking after convening a “summit” attended by senior officials from the Department, HSC Trusts and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA).
He said they were taking “very seriously” the recent damning report on the west Belfast home by the Commissioner for Older People.
“Our first priority has been to seek assurance on the current standard of care at the home,” he added.
“While I was pleased to hear of the very positive feedback given to RQIA by families of existing residents of Dunmurry Manor at a recent meeting, it is clear that unacceptable failings in care occurred repeatedly in the past. That is a matter of extreme regret for everyone in the HSC system.”
In its statement, the Department highlighted the new measures. These are::
• An independent review of actions by the HSC system in relation to care failings at Dunmurry Manor, with a view to identifying lessons for the future -in addition to the formal HSC response to the Commissioner’s report.
• A workshop event involving HSC bodies to address concerns around Dunmurry Manor and care home provision generally. The aim – the aim of this will be for lasting improvements and lessons to be embedded into the HSC system. Patient and family voices will be represented at this workshop.
• A scoping review on potential options for additional sanctions for private sector care home providers and companies responsible for serious failings.
• A public campaign to clarify and build awareness of how care home residents, families, staff and other concerned citizens can raise concerns and make complaints.
• An audit of safeguarding investigations in relation to care homes operated by the independent sector.
• Investment in improvement, recognising that, while vitally important, regulation and inspection will not deliver better care by themselves. In this financial year, £325,000 has been allocated to support nursing in-reach from Trusts to care homes. This means Trust identified nurses will work with and support the nursing and residential care home staff to look after all the needs of residents.
• Additional funding of £80,000 will support further enhanced clinical skills to meet complex nursing care needs in nursing homes.
• A new senior nursing post at the Public Health Agency is being established, dedicated to working with independent sector nursing homes and acting as a central point for the HSC to enhance quality and safety of care for patients and residents.
• Identification of a dependency tool to help ensure appropriate staffing levels for nursing homes. This is the latest stage of the roll-out of Delivering Care, the department’s policy on safe staffing.
• A measurement framework for nursing care which has been devised and tested in acute hospital wards will be reviewed for nursing homes. It will include eight key indicators that measure the impact of nursing care.
• The Department will support implementation of initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life for people living in care homes such as the My Home Life initiative
• The Department has also recognised the need for long-term transformation of adult social care, as underlined in the expert panel report published in December. A project team is taking this reform agenda forward with a carers’ panel being recruited. The next phase will include a far-reaching public debate, highlighting the major challenges for policy makers and society as a result of demographic changes, investment needs and the vital importance of staff recruitment, retention and development. The public concern currently evident on care home provision provides further evidence of the need for change