Elsie Inglis Nursing Home improvements deadline issued
An Edinburgh private nursing home has been given a deadline to make “urgent and immediate improvements” to its standards of care or it faces closure.
The Elsie Inglis Nursing Home, being investigated by Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland, has been given until the end of Friday.
Last week, a 59-year-old woman was taken to the city’s Royal Infirmary after becoming unwell at the home.
She died two days later, prompting a police investigation.
Edinburgh City Council said earlier this week that some other residents had been moved to other nursing homes.
Tight timescale
A Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland spokesman (SCSWIS) said: “We continue to have serious concerns about the quality of care being provided at Elsie Inglis Nursing Home, and we are currently in daily discussions with the local authority, health board and the service providers to ensure that residents are appropriately cared for.
“We have taken enforcement action against the service in the form of an improvement notice, which demands that the service makes urgent and immediate improvements to the standards of care that are provided at Elsie Inglis Nursing Home.
“If the provider does not meet these requirements within a very tight timescale, we will take further action, including applying to the sheriff to cancel the registration of the service.
Elsie Inglis Nursing Home A 59-year-old woman died at Elsie Inglis Nursing Home last week
“Because of the seriousness of our concerns, we will also be directing further scrutiny on the other care homes operated by the service provider.”
The SCSWIS notice states that if the home fails to make improvements to the way residents are helped with eating and drinking by the end of Friday, action will be taken.
It follows Labour Party demands that the Scottish government provides a statement to clarify what action has been taken since the resident’s death.
The party’s health spokeswoman Jackie Baillie has also lodged a series of parliamentary questions on the situation at the nursing home.
A police spokesman said: “Lothian and Borders Police are working together with partner agencies to establish the circumstances around how she became unwell at the private nursing home she was residing in.”
A Scottish government spokesman said: “It is essential that older people and their families have complete confidence in care homes.
“Investigations are ongoing into this case.
“We will undertake to keep parliament updated as appropriate.”
