Care provider operating Manchester care home and manager ordered to pay £27,960 after failing to provide safe care and treatment

Today (5 March) at Manchester and Salford Magistrates' Court, a care provider and manager have been ordered to pay £27,960 after it caused a resident living at their service Oakland House Nursing Home, avoidable harm.

Equilibrium Healthcare Limited pled guilty to failing to provide safe care and treatment to the resident resulting in avoidable harm. This resulted in one offence under Regulation 22 (2)(a) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Equilibrium Healthcare Limited was fined £26,800 for this. It was also ordered to pay a £464 victim surcharge and £17,692.33 costs.

Derek Stanley, the registered manager of the service also pled guilty to failing to provide safe care and treatment to the resident resulting in avoidable harm. This resulted in one offence under 22(2)(a) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Derek Stanley was fined £1,160 and also ordered to pay a £464 victim surcharge.

Equilibrium Healthcare Limited operates Oakland House Nursing Home in Manchester, which provides accommodation and care for older people.

At approximately 2am on 17 June 2021 a resident of Oakland House Nursing Home was found at a planned check by staff, laying on the floor of their bedroom between the stand hoist used to help them in and out of bed, and the radiator. The resident's left thigh was leaning on the radiator pipe which resulted in a substantial burn. The resident had last been checked on just after midnight.

Staff called an ambulance, and they were taken to hospital where they were admitted and treated.

CQC inspectors visited the home following the incident and found that while the specific radiator pipe in this resident's room had subsequently been covered, similar exposed pipes remained in communal bathrooms, lounges and some other people's bedrooms.

An independent health and safety expert concluded that:

• The risk from hot pipes was foreseeable and should have been identified through a competent risk assessment.
• Staff responsible for undertaking risk assessments were inadequately trained.
• The risks posed by the resident's specific mobility needs and behaviours were not adequately considered.

Alison Chilton, CQC's deputy director operations in Greater Manchester said: 

"People receiving care and treatment have the right to expect that any risks to their safety will be effectively managed.  This isn't what happened when this resident was in the care of Oakland House Nursing Home.

"The failure of Equilibrium Healthcare Limited and Derek Stanley to manage the risks to this resident was unacceptable.

"The majority of care providers do an excellent job. However, when a provider puts people in its care at risk of harm, we will take action to hold them to account and to protect people. 

"I hope the outcome of this prosecution reminds care providers of their duty to assess and manage all risks to ensure people are kept safe."