A third of Bupa care homes are either inadequate or require improvement, the Mail can reveal today.
The healthcare giant – which markets itself as a leading provider of elderly care – has been told it must take urgent action to bring 90 of its 238 UK homes up to scratch.
In the most serious cases, the homes – which can cost £1,000 a week to stay in – have been found to be dangerously understaffed, putting clients at risk of injuries, neglect and malnutrition.
The revelations come after several deaths of vulnerable residents following poor care at Bupa homes.
The company is facing possible criminal charges after it emerged earlier this month that unsafe practices allegedly led to the death of 86-year-old Kenneth Ibbetson from legionnaires’ disease.
Bupa is facing possible criminal charges after it emerged earlier this month that unsafe practices allegedly led to the death of 86-year-old Kenneth Ibbetson (pictured)
Elaine Ward,Valerie Manning and Caroline Peters are the daughters of suspected Legionnaires’ disease victim Mr Ibbetson
A 98-year-old was also said to have died of ‘inanition’ – the medical term for starvation – just days after she was forced to leave a failing Bupa home that was being shut down.
And a judge has previously branded the company ‘disgraceful’ following the case of dementia sufferer Joyce Farrow, who died after neglect at an understaffed Bupa home.
Evidence of failures at Bupa homes – seen by many as the gold standard of elderly care – emerged in inspections by the healthcare watchdog. The damning reports reveal that:
- Bupa’s ‘focus’ has been on ‘filling beds’ with ‘little recognition’ of the dangers of understaffing;
- Elderly residents are being left in bed all day because there are not enough staff to get them dressed;
- Residents are being left malnourished and dehydrated, with some given just a few mouthfuls of water per day;
- One elderly resident suffered a fracture which was left untreated for a week.
Some families are worried their relatives are not safe – telling inspectors, ‘I’m just waiting for the day when something serious happens’.
Bupa, founded in 1947, is one of the world’s largest private medical healthcare groups, employing 84,000 staff who serve 32million people in 190 countries. It claims to offer ‘the very best’ in elderly care, boasting a ‘person-centred approach’ in its care homes, which ‘means you’ll be respected as an individual and treated with dignity’.
But an inquest last month heard how Bupa failed to take proper action over warnings about the risk posed by Legionella at the Bupa home where Mr Ibbetson later died of Legionnaires’ disease.
It was warned twice in two years that the lack of training being given to staff at the home about the deadly bacteria was putting residents at risk, but Bupa failed to act. At the inquest into the death of Mr Ibbetson, the manager of the care home said the ‘sheer work load’ she was grappling with meant she did not feel able to take time to do Legionella training.
The Mail has examined recent inspection reports which suggest the company is leaving many homes dangerously understaffed – with some guilty of multiple breaches of the law. A third of the Bupa’s 238 UK care homes are now considered either ‘inadequate’ or ‘require improvement’ by the Care Quality Commission. Of these, 78 were categorised as ‘requiring improvement’, which means they are ‘not performing as well as they should’ and have been ordered to improve. Twelve homes were given the lowest possible rating of ‘inadequate’ – meaning the regulator has had to take action.
Bupa was founded in 1947 and has become one of the world’s largest private medical healthcare groups
The Gallions View home in Thamesmead, London (pictured), was judged to be inadequate because of understaffing
In some cases inspectors found Bupa homes so understaffed that elderly people were left filthy, malnourished, dehydrated and suffering pain and distress. Although most Bupa staff were found to be caring, the reports found there were simply not enough of them to keep residents safe.
One was found to be so short-staffed that residents were left in bed all day because there were not enough carers to get them up and dressed.
Disturbingly, the residents at Chilton Meadows Residential and Nursing Home in Suffolk were discovered to have suffered 110 falls in just five months – with one suffering a fracture which went unnoticed and untreated for a week. Some staff were even claimed to have mocked residents. One resident told inspectors: ‘It’s terrible, I hate every minute of it.’
At another unsafe home – Monmouth Court Nursing home in Ipswich – a resident went missing for half an hour without anyone noticing, while another had fallen 59 times in a ten month period.
At a third, one resident was found to not have been given a drink for an entire 24 hour period. Other residents at Carnavon Care Home in Clacton-on-Sea were discovered to be filthy, with ‘finger nails ingrained with dirt’. Another home – Broomcroft House care home in Sheffield – was found to be unsafe and understaffed, with residents poorly cared for. Some were being given as little as 100ml of fluid to drink per day – about two mouthfuls of water.
Inspectors at a fifth home – which was rated inadequate last year – told how it had been left understaffed for two years. The filthy conditions at Anglesea Heights Nursing Home in Ipswich were found to be putting people ‘at risk of infection’.
Joan Elliott, acting general manager of Bupa UK Care Services said: ‘We’re absolutely committed to providing all our residents with high quality care.
‘Any allegations are immediately investigated, and we take swift action where there are failings. Most of our care homes in England are rated positively by the Care Quality Commission. We have strict staffing standards in all our homes and if we are short staffed it is standard practice to cover shifts by bringing in additional nurses or carers. Access to high quality nurses is a continuing challenge across the care sector, so we are working with the Government to tackle this.’
The spokesman added the company had ‘fully apologised to Mrs Farrow’s family’ but that allegations of failings in other cases – including that of Kenneth Ibbetson – ‘had not been upheld’.
The Health and Safety Executive has brought seven prosecutions of Bupa’s care homes business since 2004 and is now understood to be considering the possibility of criminal charges over the death of Mr Ibbetson.
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They turned to Bupa because they believed the trusted brand signalled the best possible care.
But these families have told how they felt betrayed after their loved ones died amid shocking failures at care homes run by the company.
DIED FROM LEGIONNAIRES’ DESPITE RISK WARNINGS
A grandfather died from Legionnaires’ disease in a Bupa care home after bosses failed to act on warnings about the deadly bacteria.
Kenneth Ibbetson, 86, moved to the £1,000-a-week Hutton Village home in March last year, after being ‘worn down by loneliness’ following the death of his wife Marjorie.
Risk assessments for Legionnaires’ had been carried out that year and in February 2014, leading to warnings there was a risk of it developing at the property in Brentwood, Essex.
Both pointed out that the home’s manager and maintenance man lacked proper training about the risks. However Bupa failed to insist that the manager complete a course on how to properly monitor the water supply, where Legionella bacteria grow.
Just three months later, Mr Ibbetson suddenly became unwell – and was admitted to hospital where he was diagnosed with bronchial pneumonia and given antibiotics.
But the aggressive lung infection, caused by Legionella, proved too much for the retired businessman and he died three days later.
His daughter Caroline Peters, 52, said: ‘His death wasn’t right, it didn’t feel like his time.They [Bupa] are a company that trade on their reputation – but there were failings to such a degree that it resulted in death.’
The family chose Hutton Village because it was near the family home. Mr Ibbetson put his life savings towards the fees.
‘It’s never going to be ideal when a parent goes into a care home,’ his daughter Valerie Manning, 58, said. ‘But you are looking for the best option. We put our trust in [Bupa] and have been let down.’ Mr Ibbetson also has a third daughter Elaine Ward, 52.
An inquest into Mr Ibbetson’s death this month concluded that it was accidental.
The Health and Safety Executive, which looked into the incident, is considering whether to bring criminal charges against the home.
A spokesman for Bupa said: ‘As soon as bacteria was detected in our water supply, we took immediate action. Our risk assessments did flag that key people had not been trained but this was not escalated as it should have been. We now have a new system in place.’
£400,000 FINE OVER LACK OF BED RAILS
Frail dementia patient Josephine Millard died after shocking failings by care workers.
Mrs Millard, 91, was found dead beside her unsecured bed at a scandal-hit Bupa care home. The failings that led to her death only came to light after police launched a separate investigation into the home, following claims that carers were abusing residents.
As well as uncovering the abuse, officers found there had been insufficient training and Mrs Millard’s bed at Beacon Edge care home in Penrith, Cumbria, lacked safety rails.
This prompted the Health and Safety Executive to prosecute, and Bupa was fined £400,000 earlier this year after admitting two charges of failing to ensure Mrs Millard’s safety and not providing its staff with adequate safety training.
Mrs Millard, who was deaf, was moved into the home when her family began struggling to look after her. Attracted by Bupa’s reputation, they believed the firm would offer a higher standard of care.
Although a post-mortem examination found that Mrs Millard died because of deep vein thrombosis, Carlisle magistrates’ court heard that the fall may have been a contributory factor.
Speaking after the trial, her daughter Kate Lilley, 62, said: ‘My mother was a gentle person who had no voice. We turned to Bupa to give her support in her last months. But we have been let down.’
Separately, three carers at the home were jailed after officers discovered that they waged a campaign of terror on vulnerable residents. The trio were jailed in 2014 after admitting to numerous charges of abuse at the home.
They subjected elderly residents to ‘deplorable’ abuse over several months in 2013, pulling their hair and falsely tormenting them that they were going to be evicted.
Mrs Millard’s family were told by police that she could have been a victim, but she did not form part of the case. The most recent inspection in 2015 found the home was ‘good’, but still understaffed.
A spokesman for Bupa said: ‘The post mortem showed that Mrs Millard died from natural causes. After the incident we appointed a strong management team, who worked hard to make necessary changes.
‘The home is now rated ‘good’, and Care Quality Commission inspectors found that staff treated people with kindness and respect.’
UNSAFE, UNDERSTAFFED AND DIRTY: THE INSPECTORS’ VERDICT
Chilton Meadows Residential and Nursing Home, Suffolk: Inspected May 2016 – rated inadequate. Residents left in bed all day, signs of malnourishment and dehydration, and ‘no effective oversight’ from BUPA.
Crawford’s Walk Nursing home, Chester: Inspected August 2016 – inadequate. Staff ‘abrupt and dismissive’. Residents ignored when they complained they were cold, and left in their own urine and faeces.
Monmouth Court Nursing Home, Ipswich: Inspected December 2015 – inadequate. Resident went missing for half an hour without anyone noticing, and people were held down to have blood tests done against their will.
Carnarvon Care Home, Clacton-on-Sea: Inspected August 2016 – inadequate. Insufficient staff at all times. Residents at ‘serious risk of harm’, suffering dehydration and poor nutrition.
Cleveland house care home, Huddersfield: Inspected May 2016 – inadequate. Residents ‘socially isolated’ and injuries not investigated.
Hatfield Peverel Lodge Care Home, Chelmsford: Inspected June 2016 – inadequate. Staff called residents ‘the feeds’. Home was dirty and medicine not stored safely.
Gallions View, Thamesmead, London: Inspected July 2016 – inadequate. Understaffing meant residents left in rooms pleading for attention for hours. One told inspectors ‘I keep calling for help but nobody comes.’
St Nicholas nursing home, Liverpool: Inspected February 2016 – inadequate. Residents at risk because medicines weren’t administered properly.
Wentworth Croft, Peterborough: Inspected April 2016 – inadequate. Not enough staff and people who had fallen over ignored.
West Ridings Residential and nursing Home: Inspected June 2016 – inadequate. Staffing ‘not sufficient’, with not enough nurses.
Cold Springs Park Care Home, Penrith: Inspected May 2016 – inadequate. Resident had a ‘Do Not Resuscitate’ order placed on them without the proper permission.
Broomfield House care home, Sheffield: Inspected March 2016 – inadequate. Some people given just 100mls to drink a day – about 5 per cent of what they should have. Staff overworked.
Anglesea Heights nursing home, Ipswich: Inspected November 2015 and June 2016 – requires improvement. Left understaffed for two years by Bupa despite repeated warnings from watchdog. BUPA’s focus was on ‘filling beds’ with little recognition of the serious staffing problems.
FAMILY ‘HORRIFIED’ BY EX-NURSE’S CARE
The family of dementia sufferer Minnie Shaw (pictured) were ‘horrified’ by how she was treated
The family of dementia sufferer Minnie Shaw believed they were paying for the best when they moved her to a Bupa nursing home.
But they say they were ‘horrified’ by how the 85-year-old was treated at Broomcroft House in Sheffield.
They say Mrs Shaw – a retired psychiatric nurse – was subjected to poor care before her death in June last year, and have criticised Bupa for failing to act on their concerns.
Just weeks after moving in, the pensioner had to be admitted to hospital with a broken pelvis following a fall that staff did not see. She was also suffering from dehydration and a chest infection.
Two months later she returned to the home, but suffered another fall out of a wheelchair which was allegedly unsecured.
Mrs Shaw was admitted to hospital once again in May last year with dehydration, pneumonia, low blood pressure and sepsis. She died at the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, on June 19.
Bupa deny she was neglected – but her family claim there were a number of care failures, such as gaps in the records staff should have kept about her food and liquid consumption.
Mrs Shaw’s daughter Sarah Gray, an NHS social worker, said she was persuaded to move her mother to the home by the firm’s good reputation, as she had already been neglected at a previous home.
But she said she now believes the company were ‘complacent’ about ‘inadequate care’. Concerns about standards had already been raised by Care Quality Commission inspectors two months before Mrs Shaw’s death. Officials highlighted issues with understaffing. The home has since been placed in special measures after an inspection this year found it ‘unsafe’.
Despite the criticisms, a coroner concluded that neither Broomcroft nor Mrs Shaw’s former care home were to blame for the death, and instead raised concerns about social services.
Mrs Shaw’s other daughter Linda Hunt, 65, said questions should be asked about why Broomcroft was given a clean bill of health at the inquest but placed in special measures shortly after.
She added: ‘The homes are just money making machines. It’s shocking what you pay for the Bupa name. You think you’re getting quality but it is not better than anywhere else.’
A spokesman for Bupa said: ‘Mrs Shaw’s death was thoroughly investigated both by Bupa and the police. The coroner had no concerns about her care.
‘Broomcroft House was placed into special measures one year later for totally unrelated reasons, which are now being resolved.’
FORCED TO LEAVE FAILING HOME
The family of a grandmother who died shortly after being forced to move out of a Bupa care home said they blamed the firm for her death.
Ada Proctor, 98, died six days after the Bupa-run nursing unit where she lived was abruptly shut down by horrified inspectors from the Care Quality Commission.
Her cause of death was given as ‘inanition’ – the clinical term for exhaustion caused by lack of nourishment – and ‘grand old age’.
The inspectors had decided to close the home after finding that crippling staff shortages were putting residents at serious risk.
Her family claim she had not been fed properly at the Saltshouse Haven home in Hull, which they say was so understaffed that employees could spend only ten minutes with each resident at mealtimes. The elderly dementia sufferer – who had endured several strokes – required substantial help when eating.
Ada Proctor (pictured), 98, died six days after the Bupa-run nursing unit where she lived was abruptly shut down
Her family say the idea that she could have been fed in ten minutes was ‘ridiculous’ – and claim the lack of support to eat ultimately led to Mrs Proctor’s death. They said they had to make regular visits to the home just to keep Mrs Proctor alive before her death in September.
Her granddaughter Lauren Hirst, who is as a care worker herself, said: ‘Ten minutes is a ridiculous amount of time to give my nan. It took 45 minutes just to give her a cup of tea.
‘One day I found her dehydrated because she had not had a drink for hours. Other times I found food stuck to her chest.’
Miss Hirst, 23, said she had tried to complain about her grandmother’s care but Bupa ‘tried to fob me off.’
Mrs Proctor’s daughter Pauline Hirst, 65, said: ‘We would not want anyone to go through what we have.Her hair was dirty and she had not had her eye drops. She was not able to tell us what the matter was. I know she was old, but she was a human being.’
Miss Hirst said that her grandmother, who had lived in the home for 15 years, had previously had good care – but a management change in the months before her death saw a decline in standards.
Bupa bosses announced the closure of the unit on August 31 following a damning CQC inspection, giving residents just 48 hours to find new accommodation. Mrs Proctor was moved to another home – owned by a different provider – where she died just six days later.
A spokesman for Bupa said their care records suggested that Mrs Proctor was not undernourished while in Bupa’s care.
The spokesman added: ‘We have launched an investigation, and our senior managers have spoken with the family. We would never support limiting the amount of time our people spend with residents.’
DIED AFTER HOME PUT PROFITS FIRST
Joyce Farrow (pictured) died at an understaffed Bupa care home
Joyce Farrow died at an understaffed Bupa care home which a judge described as being more concerned about profits than providing good care.
The 90-year-old dementia sufferer died five days after being taken to hospital with a black eye and bruises.
She was also found to be dehydrated and have an infection after two months at Bupa’s Stonedale Lodge nursing home in Liverpool.
Doctors were so concerned about the frail pensioner that they called the police. The home’s manager Karen Southern was later convicted of wilful neglect and given an eight-month suspended sentence at Liverpool Crown Court.
During the 2012 trial, judge Mark Brown said the manager had been ‘more interested in maximising profits’ than care. He added: ‘This meant there were often inadequate staff levels and the unit was filthy.’
Following Southern’s conviction, Bupa directors said that ‘much had changed’ at the facility. But last year the home was rated ‘inadequate’ by inspectors, who found it was understaffed.
An inspection in February said staff levels had improved but the home was still not rated ‘good’.
Mrs Farrow’s daughter Pauline Slaughter said the company paid her an undisclosed fee. However she said: ‘I wanted Bupa to suffer, but they didn’t. They paid me damages – but it was a drop in the ocean for them.’
The retired nurse, 70, said she believed Bupa’s management prioritises profit over the needs of care home residents. She said: ‘It’s all about the money, there is no compassion.’ The home was paid £500 a month to care for Mrs Farrow in 2010, which was paid through the local council.
A spokesman for Bupa said: ‘We apologised for the distress caused to Mrs Farrow’ s family.
‘Following their claim about her care, we admitted the standard was not good enough and paid compensation.
‘We have made considerable improvements to the home and overhauled our staff training.’