Stornoway care home, Taigh Shìophoirt (Seaforth House), faces its fourth inspection within a year after care inspectors highlighted previous requirements to avoid medication errors have not been fulfilled.
The newly built 52 bedded facility opened to residents in 2023, offering 24-hour
care and support to older people who may have a range of complex health issues, including
dementia.
Three inspectors attended unannounced at the care home at the end of November, mainly
to evaluate if issues to achieve safe, high-quality care had been addressed.
But “insufficient progress” was seen they concluded.
Care Inspectorate’s latest report says “significant concerns” over medication errors during earlier inspections last May and September have “still not been resolved satisfactorily” creating a lack of confidence that people's health and well being is “consistently being managed safely.”
Inspectors highlight staff interactions continue to be kind and caring.
In addition, people's health care assessments had been updated to reflect their needs.
However, they remain “concerned that some people were still not receiving the right medication at the right time.”
“Whilst there had been a number of systems put in place to manage medication safely, we concluded not all staff were following these.
“This meant people's health remained at risk.”
“Without improvement as a matter of urgency, the welfare and safety of people will continue to be compromised, and their critical needs not met” stressed the report.
In what is their third inspection of the facility since last May, the Care Inspectorate acknowledged that quality systems at Taigh Shìophoirt need “time to imbed and evidence they are having the desired outcome of ensuring people are consistently receiving safe and good quality care.
“However we remain concerned that the pace of change is too slow and without improvement as a matter of priority, the welfare or safety of people may be compromised, or their critical needs not met.”
The Comhairle was told to introduce robust auditing processes to ensure medication is being administered safely.
Another instruction is to ensure that people administering medication are suitably trained and have had their competency assessed.
The Comhairle must ensure people are provided with the right care and support which is “well led and managed” says the report.
This needs a “visible management and leadership capacity to lead effective, continuous improvement” which includes a structured system of staff practice observations, supervision and appraisal as well as an effective and responsive audit timetable.
In addition, effective systems are to be put in place to robustly analyse all accidents and incidents.
Support for people's wellbeing was graded as “weak” in the report which says the Comhairle has been “unable to demonstrate clearly that sustainable improvements have been made.”
Inspectors are concerned that quality assurance systems and checks have been developed because of the “poor quality of care” highlighted through the regulation process rather than through “robust quality assurance and selfevaluation” from the provider.
To monitor progress, inspectors are expected to visit the care home again soon.
A Comhairle spokesperson said: “While this follow up inspection undertaken by the Care Inspectorate notes progress in a number of areas there is ongoing focused work on priorities such as medication, documentation and quality assurance to ensure the quality of care delivered at Taigh Shiphoirt is of the highest possible standard.
“The leadership team have acted on the report’s findings and alongside the care inspectorate are working to improve our service.”
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