In a report presented to the Greater Huddersfield Commissioning Group it has been revealed that one in seven care home beds have been lost last year in Kirklees despite demand for places increasing.  NHS chiefs learned that out of 1750 beds, 258 had been lost in 2015 due to several care homes being closed either due to financial concerns or failure to meet Care Quality Commission standards.  The report also highlighted the risk of further losses due to standards not being met in the future.  Of the 258 losses, 171 were residential care home beds.

‘inspector saved the life of a patient’

One of the homes that had to close its doors last October had failed to meet standards in all areas during an inspection carried out by the CQC.  It was reported that during the visit to Ashleigh Care Home in Newsome, the inspector saved the life of a patient whose face had become pressed into a mattress and couldn’t breathe.  The elderly patient’s face had turned blue.

A local health watchdog, Healthwatch Kirklees, has stated that due to an increasingly ageing population, demand for beds will only increase.  In talks with a council health scrutiny panel, Kirklees council health chief Dianne Green stressed that care home places for the elderly was “an absolute growth area”.  Speaking on behalf of the CCG, a spokesman confirmed that they were doing all they can to address the potential future shortage of beds in an already overstretched health service.

If you have been affected by medical negligence, and are looking to claim compensation, please contact us.