A NURSING home in Arnside has been visited by Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors after safety concerns were raised following the death of a person in the home.
Westmorland Court Nursing and Residential Home on High Knott Road, in Arnside, was the subject of an unannounced, targeted inspection by the clinical regulatory body on October 13 and 14.
The report on the inspection says that the safety aspect of the service 'requires improvement' - this was the only category rated on the visit, due to a specific concern being raised.
On why inspectors visited, the report stated: "The inspection was prompted, in part, by notification of an incident following which a person using the service died.
"This incident is subject to further investigation by CQC as to whether any regulatory action should be taken.
"As a result, this inspection did not examine the full circumstances of the incident.
"However, the information shared with CQC about the incident indicated potential concerns about the management of risk when people become seriously unwell.
"We had also received concerns about the service's use of agency staff. This inspection examined those risks."
At the time of the inspection, 38 people were living in the home, which has a capacity of 48.
Relating to safety, the report said: "The service did not always effectively monitor peoples' changing health condition.
READ MORE: Nursing home ordered to improve after inspection found safety issue
"In one case we considered, staff had recorded their observations of a person and this indicated a deterioration in the person's condition.
"There was a delay in referring the person to specialist healthcare professionals, such as ambulance staff. This could have led to an increased risk of harm.
"The registered manager responded to this risk immediately during and after the inspection.
"They confirmed action had been taken with relevant staff members and lessons had been learned.
"The provider representative advised that a full review would take place and the resulting report shared with CQC and partner agencies.
"We considered two other cases where concern had been expressed about a delay in seeking specialist help.
"In these cases we were satisfied the service had acted appropriately."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here