New call for inspectorate care home inquiry

More calls have been made for an independent inquiry into the body which inspects care homes in Wales.

The Welsh assembly health, wellbeing and local government committee’s chair said he would ask it to look at the issue if the auditor general does not.

Conservative Darren Millar’s comments followed a BBC Wales investigation showing some homes continued to fail to meet basic standards.

The assembly government said it would address the issues raised.

The Who Cares in Wales programme, on BBC One Wales on Wednesday, looked at whether vulnerable elderly people’s rights were being protected by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales (CSSIW).

It included undercover filming at a home, which showed rules being breached, frail elderly people being lifted incorrectly, and the dignity of residents being compromised.
   
We’ve got to make sure that our regulatory system works
Darren Millar AM, chair, health, wellbeing and local government committee

Interviewed on the programme, another AM, Jonathan Morgan, chair of the assembly’s public accounts committee, called for an independent inquiry.

Mr Millar said: “We’ve got to make sure that CSSIW has the teeth to deal with these problems when it finds them on a recurring basis.

“We’ve got to make sure that our elderly people in care are treated with dignity… we’ve got to make sure that our regulatory system works.”

The charity Action on Elder Abuse has now written to all Assembly Members calling for a unified approach to the issues raised.

Chief executive Gary FitzGerald said: “We are appealing to everyone to work together on this issue and to undertake an independent review of the effectiveness of current systems.”

The Welsh Assembly Government said it was confident in the way the CSSIW carried out checks on care homes but would look at the issues raised in the programme.