Bosses at Midlothian care home issue apology in response to claims residents were neglected and stripped of dignity

Bosses of a Midlothian home accused of neglecting elderly residents and treating them with a lack of dignity have apologised to residents and their loved ones.
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Inspectors reported that elderly residents at Springfield Bank were left by themselves often in their rooms for large parts of the day, which the watchdog said demonstrated an 'overall lack of respect for the care of people supported.'

A report placed before Holyrood laid bare a number of concerns about the care of vulnerable residents and the Bonnyrigg home was judged to be 'weak' in all but one category.

The care home scored 'weak' on all but one categoryThe care home scored 'weak' on all but one category
The care home scored 'weak' on all but one category
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The watchdog said resident requests were often ignored as ‘well meaning’ workers were too busy, due to 'significant deficits' in permanent staff.

In 2018 the home, which can accommodate up to 70 residents, was served with an improvement notice following a critical inspection report.

After being told to make urgent improvements it was graded compliant in 2019 and scored ‘good’ for care and support during the pandemic in February 2021 and ‘adequate’ for leadership.

But by July inspectors concluded standards had slipped again.

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A spokesperson for the home, operated by HC-One, said: “Our utmost priority is the health and wellbeing of our residents, and our local team works exceptionally hard to get care right for everyone. On this occasion, we have fallen short of the high standards expected of us and we apologise to our residents and their loved ones for this.

“Before the inspection, our routine internal quality audit had identified challenges which we were working to resolve. When the Care Inspectorate visited, we had already developed and started delivering on a comprehensive action plan, and a dedicated full-time Turnaround Manager was already working in the home. Over recent weeks we have continued to deliver on our action plan, and a new Unit Manager has now started. A new Deputy Home Manager has been appointed and will join the home shortly, and our Regional Director and Regional Quality Team are working closely with all colleagues to make sure we are consistently meeting and exceeding expectations.

“We continue to work closely with the Local Authority and Care Inspectorate and noticeable improvements have already been made. This is an ongoing process, but the team are dedicated to making and sustaining the required improvements as quickly as possible.”

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