Commenting ahead of tonight’s (Monday 19 June) Dispatches programme, Bupa Care Homes Undercover¸ Andrea Sutcliffe, the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care said:
“The examples of poor care and a culture of inappropriate, institutionalised practice highlighted by this programme are wholly unacceptable.
“Bupa and its managers have a responsibility to provide safe, compassionate and high quality services but have failed to do so - despite their promises to address the concerns the Care Quality Commission has raised. Bupa has betrayed the very people it is paid to look after.
“The shocking evidence presented here of understaffing, bad practice and poor care confirms the issues we have raised and underlines why we have taken action.
“Through our published inspections of individual services, including Crawfords Walk and Perry Locks, and our ongoing engagement with the senior team at Bupa, we have been clear about the standards and improvements they should achieve.
“We have used our enforcement powers to protect people and drive improvement - but it is ultimately up to Bupa to deliver this improvement and we will hold them to account through further use of our enforcement powers if they fail to do so.
“People living in care homes and their families and carers should be confident that their individual needs are prioritised and that they are treated with dignity and respect.
“Thousands of dedicated, committed staff and providers across the country do make this happen every day, but there are too many services rated by CQC as inadequate or requiring improvement that are letting down people living in the most vulnerable of circumstances.
“While I would prefer services to improve and for people to stay in the care home of their choice, I am clear that if providers are not capable of making the necessary improvements then we will take action that may result in the closure of poor, unsafe services in order to protect people.”
The shocking evidence presented here of understaffing, bad practice and poor care confirms the issues we have raised and underlines why we have taken action.
Andrea Sutcliffe, Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care