Care home shut down by council after series of failings on patient safety

A FAILING Birmingham care home for disabled people has been shut down by the council after concerns were raised over patient safety.

Social Services has moved 15 residents out of council-run Karistos Care Home, in Moseley, this month.

Karistos, in Chantry Road, got a zero ‘poor’ rating in a Care Quality Commission (CQC) in the summer with inspectors demanding improvements to management of the home, quality and safety.

It is the second time the home has come under fire. Social Services suspended sending any more patients to the home in October 2009, which was lifted after improvements in March this year.

But Gursharn Singh Surdhar, one of the owners of Karistos Care Home along with Surjit Singh Surdhar and Dr Harminderjeet Singh Surdhar, said major improvements had been made at the home in recent months to the satisfaction of the CQC.

Mr Surdhar said: “Residents were crying when they left. We were initially given an extension to stay open by the council and then officers changed their minds and moved all the residents.

“NHS South Birmingham and the council have it in for us.

“Linkline Care is to become new owners of the home and an application has already gone to the CQC. They may have moved all the residents out, but we are still licensed.”

The home has 17 beds and is registered to care for people aged 18 to 65 with physical disabilities for Birmingham City Council.

Sheila Rochester, service director for Adults and Communities at Birmingham Social Services, said: “With some care homes we get patterns and incidents that aren’t good enough.

“We gave the home a warning and support but if it is not making progress with the plan, we have to move people out. We have closed a home with people who are vulnerable.”

A spokeswoman for Birmingham City Council and NHS South Birmingham Primary Care Trust said: “The council and NHS gave notice to Karistos Care Home in Moseley that its services were to be decommissioned.

“This was due to on-going concerns about the quality and safety of the care provided. This decision was not taken lightly as we recognise the impact this has on residents who see Karistos as their home.

“We have a duty of care towards vulnerable people and will not compromise their safety and dignity. All the residents have been re-housed.

“We worked closely with the owners of the home to help them take action to improve the services provided, but a continual failure to improve resulted in a three-month notice being issued in September this year. The residents had all moved out by December 17.”