In shock over state of care

Feb 21 2008 By Alison Dayani

A CARE expert who raised the alarm on a Birmingham residential home where 27 people died in a year has described the "awful" state of residents.

Diane Freeman, a senior contracts officer for Solihull Care Trust who regularly visited Maypole Nursing Home, in Kings Heath, alerted directors.

She told how she had to act after seeing a resident semi-dressed, another lying in urine-soiled sheets and filthy eating conditions.

Mrs Freeman spoke out at a misconduct hearing for former Maypole nursing manager Kathleen Smith, aged 46, from Shirley, and nurses Carol Estelle Bushell, 48, from West Heath, and Mary Kathleen Casey, 70, from Harborne.

Maypole Nursing Home was shut down by inspectors in 2003 and the GPs who owned it, Dr Jamalapuram Hari Gopal and his wife Dr Praturi Sanrajya Lakshmi, were struck off by the General Medical Council for "inadequate care" of residents.

During the Nursing and Midwifery Council hearing, Mrs Freeman said: "On my first visit in January 2001, there were lots of health and safety issues, infection control problems and I was shocked how the residents looked. I promote dignity so much and to see them there in different stockings, their tops undone, it was like they were nothings."

Mrs Freeman, who has 27 years of experience in the care industry, said she taught manager Ms Smith how to do risk assessments and care plans with some improvement.

But the care adviser said in February 2003 she found a catalogue of problems.

"There was a soiled incontinence pad on the floor of the bedroom, there was a resident in bed in sheets soaked with what seemed like urine and faeces. It was a mess," she said.

"There was a frail woman in a thin red dress with buttons down the front which were undone, but when she moved you could see she had no underclothes on. That's when I thought I needed to contact my directors."

But Smith claimed the evidence was exaggerated.

All three nurses have already admitted allowing drugs to be given to the wrong patients but face a catalogue of other charges.

(Proceeding)