To consider any items admitted at item 3 above.
Minutes:
Following inspection visits in March, the Panel was informed the Care Quality Commission (CQC) had published a report and rated the overall service at Osborne Grove as inadequate. With this in mind and in view of a Cabinet Member signing on 20 June 2017, approving consultation with residents, carers and other stakeholders on the proposal to close the nursing home, the Chair agreed to receive an urgent update on the situation.
The Panel was informed that in November 2015 a decision had been taken by Cabinet to retain Osborne Grove as a nursing and residential provision. It was noted that the site in Stroud Green comprised a 32-bedded nursing unit, with a day centre space and a large car park.
In response to questions, the Panel was informed that since this decision the nursing home had been subject to a local authority led “Establishment concerns” process in order to manage a number of essential improvements to service user safety and the quality of care. Alongside this, it was noted the CQC had inspected the home in December 2016, and again in March 2017, and that the home continued to be under special measures with its overall CQC rating being “Inadequate”.
Beverley Tarka, Director for Adult Social Services, explained that an embargo was in place and that 18 residents were currently living on the site (down from 32 at full occupancy). The Panel was informed that issues at Osborne Grove were entrenched and linked to ineffective management and significant competency and performance issues. Ms Tarka advised that despite significant resource investment from the Council it was likely, given the lack of improvements, that the current range of issues would remain for the foreseeable future.
Given the above, including protracted staffing issues which were impacting adversely on the standards required to ensure compliance, the Panel was informed, based on quality of care and safety grounds, that the proposal for Osborne Grove was closure.
During the discussion, consideration was also given to a variety of issues, including:
- Questions around nursing home capacity both within Haringey and across North Central London.
- The requirement for a period of consultation with residents, family members and other stakeholders before any final decision was made.
- The need to set out a range of options was considered and the Panel was informed, given the severity of the situation, that the primary concern had to be the quality of care offered to patients. It was noted that Cabinet would have the final decision on the outcome of the proposals.
- The fact that there was an option to continue the previous Cabinet decision (November 2015) to develop additional reablement and intermediate care provision on site in partnership with the NHS. However, the on-going concerns with quality of care and resident safety had made this position untenable
In response to questions, officers advised significant resources had been put into bolstering management and service delivery at Osborne Grove and that there was always an option to retain use of the facility if, for instance, a further CQC inspection reported significant improvements in care standards. The Panel was informed further information about the CQC’s findings could be found online via the following web-link:
- Date of publication - 30 May 2017
- Date of publication - 7 February 2017
The Panel asked where patients would go if the site was closed and when information would be available. Officers advised that they would be speaking to patients and their families on an individual basis and would seek their input as to what type of provision they would like to receive. Officers also reiterated that patients affected would receive a further reassessment of need in the eventuality that the nursing home was closed . It was acknowledged that there would be further conversations with patients independent of the outcome of the consultation and that this was normal practice given peoples’ needs changed over time.
In conclusion, the Chair thanked Sharon Grant OBE, Chair Healthwatch Haringey, for contributing to the discussion on this item. The Panel also agreed that Healthwatch Haringey should be involved in developing proposals for Osborne Grove moving forward.
AGREED:
(a) That the urgent update concerning Osborne Grove nursing home be noted.
(b) That further updates on Osborne Grove be considered by the Panel, with the timing of the next update to be confirmed as part of the agenda planning process for 2017/18.