Hidden amongst the media coverage of Syrian refugees last week was an expose by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism about the CQC’s “failure to follow up claims of negligence” at care homes.
At the centre of the investigation is the case of Barbara Cooke, a former Isle of Wight care home resident, whose death last year, the coroner concluded, was contributed to by neglect.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) got in touch with OnTheWight having seen our article reporting the findings of the Coroner’s Inquest last year.
They were keen to interview Mrs Cooke’s son, Simon, as part of the their investigation. The report appeared in National Newspaper of the Year, i, in a two-page spread of The Independent, as well as on the Express Website and the Bureau’s own Website (links to all articles).
Simon Cooke: “It was horrific”
The report by Melanie Newman explains how on Mother’s Day last year, Simon found his Mum at Waxham House care home in Ryde in a distressed state and soiled state with faeces on her face.
“It was horrific,” he told them, going on to explain that his Mum died just a few days later of septicaemia, infected pressure sores and multiple organ failure.
The inquest was only held because Simon reported his mother’s death to the Coroner, something the care home or hospital had neglected to do.
CQC inspection found same problems a year later
It took a year from the death of Mrs Cooke to the CQC inspecting the care home in Ryde.
When they did, many of the same problems that had been in place at the time of Mrs Cooke’s death were still evident.
Simon Cooke, told OnTheWight,
“I’m very disappointed that the CQC took so long to inspect Waxham House after the damning Coroner’s report and even more concerned that when they did, they found the same problems present as when my Mum died almost 18 months ago.”
The CQC rated the care home as ‘Inadequate’ in June 2015.
The outcome of a Serious Case Review by Adult Safeguarding at Isle of Wight council is due to be published at the end of the month.
The coverage
If you don’t buy the i, you can read the online reports of the investigation.
The Bureau of Investigative Journalism: Care home regulator fails to act on coroner death warnings
The Independent: Why the son of a woman who died as a result of care home neglect is still angry
The Express: How can we have any faith in care home standards?
