Firstly, news that an an operator of three Lothian care homes is to take over 11 homes currently run by Southern Cross, which is being wound down due to financial difficulties.  Robert Kilgour, who built up Four Seasons Health Care before selling it, now runs three homes.  The owners of 11 Southern Cross homes, nine in Aberdeenshire, one in Edinburgh and one in Fife are forming a partnership with Mr Kilgour.  The handover is expected to take place within the next two months.

The full report from the BBC can be found here.

The second story concerns a care home in Hawick whose future may be in doubt.

A spokesman for the local Health Board said: “a study of NHS Borders’ services was being undertaken – the Health Board has a much higher proportion of beds than other regions of Scotland.”

One explanation for this, and one reason why this should continue, is the age demographics in places like the Borders.  Stories like this also show how much uncertainty surrounds the care home industry in Scotland just now.

The full story from the Southern Reporter can be found here.

Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: 

“We are working on a strong presumption – supported by the landlords, and underpinned by our contingency arrangements – that older people will not be moved.  The welfare of all the residents will be maintained with minimum possible disruption. 

“The Scottish Government is working with COSLA and other partners such as ADSW [Association of Directors of Social Work] and SCSWIS [Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland] to ensure continuity of care for all residents in Southern Cross care homes in Scotland.

“This formal announcement signals the start of a process to break up the southern cross group on a consensual basis, it does not mean that the business has gone into administration, or that any care homes will close in the immediate future.”

The background to this statement is the announcement on Monday of this week that Southern Cross is to transfer all of its care homes to other operators.   

A former Glasgow city councillor has been banned from making solo visits to his elderly mother in a care home run by Southern Cross after complaining about her treatment.

The report from the Scotsman can be found here.

Is there a crisis in how we care for the elderly and other at risk groups in Scotland?  The recent media coverage suggests yes but I suspect even as I start a series of articles on this subject that any conclusions I draw will be more complicated than a simple yes or no.

I am in my mid forties.   My Mum is in her early seventies as are my wife’s parents.   How we care for our parents is an issue that my generation cannot ignore.   It is not just how we care for the elderly that is making news headlines.  The scenes shown in the recent Panorama programme on Winterbourne View care home were sickening.

Southern Cross

Southern Cross has rarely been out of the news recently.  Southern Cross, which operates across the UK, announced it is reducing its rent payments and cannot afford to meet its annual rental costs of £230million.  The background to this is the reorganisation of the business a few years before the current economic difficulties.  The recession has caused Southern Cross, and others, real problems.   I will look at this issue in more detail when I look at how we fund elderly care.  I will also look at the charge levied at Southern Cross that “they are just like the bankers”, i.e. they award massive bonuses when things are going well but, when things go wrong, demand public funding.

Winterbourne View care home, near Bristol

The Winterbourne View care home, near Bristol, was featured in a BBCPanorama programme.  The scenes shown in the programme caused revulsion and outrage.   Police in Bristol have arrested a number of people after the secret filming by Panorama found a pattern of serious abuse at this residential hospital.  Winterbourne View treated people with learning disabilities and autism. The hospital’s owners, Castlebeck, have apologised unreservedly and suspended 13 employees.   The hospital has now been closed.  Even though this is an English care home the issues raised cannot be ignored here in Scotland.  How robust is our own inspection process?  Do we listen to whistle blowers?  Does the buck truly stop somewhere?

Elsie Inglis care home, Edinburgh  

The Elsie Inglis private nursing home in Edinburgh has been forced to close down. The owners of the Elsie Inglis Nursing Home volunteered to de-register the business after it became clear they would not meet a deadline for improvements ordered by Social Care and Social Work Improvement Scotland. SCSWIS said it had: “very serious concerns about the quality of care” at the home.  There is also a police investigation into the death of two residents of the care home.

Ninewells Hospital, Dundee

Ninewells hospital, Dundee, was severely criticised in a report by the Mental Welfare Commission over the care of an 80-year-old woman with dementia. Before her death, the woman was given dozens of sedative doses over 16 days in ways the Mental Welfare Commission deemed distressing and unnecessary.  Ninewells Hospital was not named in the report and its identity only became public when the media and politicians started asking questions about the report.

Erskine care home, Edinburgh

Erskine’s Edinburgh care home received a critical report from SCSWIS. It was also reported that the Chief Executive Officer of Erskine, Major Jim Panton has resigned.  A spokesman for the care home said that the resignation was not connected to the critical report.   The inspection report found that prescription drugs had not been administered properly and that fluid and food intakes had not been recorded.

The last three matters may in fact point to the fact that our system of inspection is robust.  I will though look further at this issue in a later article.

Some facts and figures

There are over 900 care homes in Scotland.  Approximately 170 are owned by our 32 Councils, 240 by charities and just over 500 by private operators.

Southern Cross has 98 homes in Scotland, Four Seasons has 49 and BUPA 30.

Approximately half of Scottish homes are run by sole traders.

Some 39,150 people reside in Scottish care homes.

77% of care home residents pay for their care.

Scottish Councils pay £550 per week to private providers to look after old people with estates worth less than £22,000.

Councils spend approximately £800 per week per resident in their own homes.

Someone occupying a non-specialist hospital bed costs the Health Board approximately £1,500 a week.  An acute bed costs approximately £2,800 per week.

Future articles

Over the next few weeks I will look at a number of the issues mentioned above in greater detail.  This will include how we fund elderly care, the quality of care given, inspection and whistle blowing issues, the role to be played by the private, public and third sectors, the debate on merging our health and care sectors and the options for taking control of some or all of a person’s affairs.

If you have any questions on this issue or simply want to make a comment please either contact me or use the “comment” option below.

James Aitken

Legal Knowledge Scotland

Southern Cross, which operates across the UK, has announced that it is reducing its rent payments and cannot afford to meet its annual rental costs of £230million. Southern Cross has 98 care homes with around 4,000 elderly residents in Scotland.