Police probe as second care home resident dies

The death of a second elderly resident from a care home in Edinburgh is being investigation by police. The 87-year-old man died within days of leaving the Elsie Inglis home in the capital.

The home has since been shut down with residents decanted to other accommodation across the city.

A 59-year-old female resident died in hospital with respiratory problems on May 18. By then, care watchdogs had already been alerted to issues at the home after a doctor raised concerns.

As a result of that, a process started on May 16 to start moving 70 residents out of Elsie Inglis into other homes and hospitals.

The man who died left the home on that day and was moved to a care home in Corstorphine, where he died five days later.

The circumstances surrounding his death will form part of an ongoing joint inquiry into standards at the home by Edinburgh City Council, NHS Lothian and Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland.

A report into the death of the 59-year-old woman, named as Down’s Syndrome sufferer Lynn Beveridge, has been sent to the procurator-fiscal.

A spokesman for the care home said: “We are deeply saddened at the loss of this 87-year-old former resident of the home and our condolences and sympathies go to his relatives.

“He was fit and well when he left the home on the 16th of May and said he did not wish to leave.”

The home is run by Peacock Medicare, owned by doctors Nawal and Susheela Bagaria, which also runs the Peacock Care Home and the Woodlands Nursing Home in Livingston, West Lothian.

Lindsay Scott, communications and campaign manager for Age Scotland, said it was well documented that moving older people into a new environment can be traumatic.

She added: “We are not saying this case is a result of that, but as it has happened in close proximity, it is only natural to wonder if it is related to that.”