Chamber and committees

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde commenced their review of laboratory services in the Clyde area at the end of May 2011.

On 14 June 2011 I had a telephone conversation with Paul Burstow MP, Minister of State for Care Services.

During the discussion the following matters were discussed: general update on Southern Cross’s position, ensuring the lines of communication between the two administrations remained effective, and the meeting due to be held in London on 15 June 2011 between Southern Cross, its landlords and representatives of the banks with key interests.

In addition, Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with officials at the UK Department of Health, and I am kept fully informed of the discussions.

The Scottish Government expects all care services in Scotland, including care homes, to provide good quality care. It is the responsibility of every provider to ensure that they meet that expectation. Where a service is being graded as “weak” in any area, Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland will take the necessary steps to ensure improvements are made and sustained and the safety and wellbeing of residents are safeguarded.

Peacock Medicare Ltd is also the provider of Woodlands Nursing Home and Peacock Nursing Home, both in Livingston. The Care Commission received one complaint about Woodlands Nursing Home in November 2008 and four complaints about Peacock Nursing Home between 2007 and 2011 which were fully investigated at the time.

Since becoming operational on 1 April 2011 Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) has received a further complaint about the Peacock Nursing Home. Following complaints investigations, three requirements were placed on this service. SCSWIS inspected Peacock Nursing Home on 27 May 2011 to check progress on improvement.

SCSWIS, like the Care Commission before it, as the independent sector regulator, will continue to monitor closely such services as part of its quality assurance role. I am confident that SCSWIS will take all necessary steps to ensure that the safety and wellbeing of residents are safeguarded.

Information of this nature and information relating to SCSWIS’ inspection processes and its agreed inspection plan for 2011-12 is available on SCSWIS website at:

http://www.scswis.com/index.php.

On 6 June 2011, I met with the Regional Director for Scotland and Northern Ireland from Southern Cross.

On 13 June 2011, I met the Chief Executive of Southern Cross, and his Regional Director for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The following matters were discussed at both meetings; ensuring the continuity and quality of care for all Southern Cross care home residents in Scotland; the wellbeing of residents and staff in Southern Cross Homes during this period of uncertainty; the continuing partnership approach to contingency planning in Scotland.

Castlebeck Care (Teasdale) Limited run four services in Scotland, three are registered with Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS): Ranaich House, in Dunblane; Ellen Mhor, in Dundee; and Trinity House, in Lockerbie. The fourth service, Monroe House in Dundee, is an independent health care service registered with Health Improvement Scotland (HIS).

Ranaich House is currently the subject of intensive inspection and monitoring by SCSWIS and its inspectors as part of SCSWIS’ assurance process. I understand from SCSWIS that Ellen Mhor and Trinity House have a good regulatory history of performance and will be inspected on an unannounced basis according to the schedule in SCSWIS’ inspection plan. Further, SCSWIS will carry out random sampling of good performing care services to check if performance is sustained over time.

Monroe House will continue to be regulated and inspected by HIS.

No complaints or concerns were received directly by the Scottish Government in respect of the Elsie Inglis Nursing Home.

For more information about the concerns raised in respect of the Elsie Inglis Nursing Home, I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-279 on 15 June 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

Castlebeck Care (Teasdale) Limited provides four services in Scotland, three care homes which are registered with Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland, and an independent healthcare service which is registered with Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

The three care homes are: Ellen Mhor in Dundee, which currently has 11 residents; Ranaich House in Dunblane with 10 residents; and Trinity House in Lockerbie, with 13 residents. The independent health care service, Monroe House in Dundee, currently hosts 24 residents.

All four services provided by Castlebeck were last inspected by the Care Commission whose regulatory functions for care services were taken over by Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland (SCSWIS) on 1 April 2011.

Details of the dates of inspections and the gradings awarded are set out in the following table:

The Commission carried out a further follow up visit to Raniach House on 30 March 2011 where they noted that improvements were being made. SCSWIS are monitoring this service closely to ensure that improvements are made and sustained.

Any future inspections to Monroe House in Dundee will be undertaken by Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

As the First Minister explained during First Minister’s Question Time on 2 June 2011, Edinburgh City Council received a complaint about the standards of care within Elsie Inglis on 25 March 2011 and the regulator undertook a full inspection in April 2011. On 12 May 2011 the City of Edinburgh Council and NHS Lothian put their own staff into the home. This is how regulation is meant to work.

The Scottish Government was made aware of the situation on 17 May 2011 and immediately made contact with the regulatory body, Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland.