BBC’s Panorama Exposes Poor Care

One member of care staff has been sacked and seven others suspended following a BBC 1 documentary Panorama, ‘Behind Closed Doors: Elderly Care Exposed’ which was broadcast last night.

The undercover filming which took place at the Old Deanery Care Village in Braintree, Essex showed residents being taunted, roughly handled and in one case slapped by a number of care staff. The secret filming took place over 36 shifts and seemed to show residents waiting for lengthy periods of time after they had called for assistance, patient call bells being unplugged and residents being left lying in their own excrement.

Anglia Retirement Homes Ltd who is the operators for the care home stated that the incidents involved a “small number of staff” but that they are “shocked and saddened by the allegations.”

Alex Lee the journalist who conducted the undercover filming said she also saw “many good care workers trying their best” but also saw some staff “mock, goad, taunt, roughly handle and ignore” elderly vulnerable residents.

Commenting on the broadcast Andrea Sutcliffe, the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care said “This programme raises important issues about the quality of care in care homes. The care shown in the Panorama programme is unacceptable. My sympathy goes out to the people affected. I am angry that the good care we know is provided is undermined when people are failed in this way.”

Later this year the CQC are introducing a nationally recognised ratings system for care homes which Ms Sutcliffe is hopeful will strengthen their ability to uncover poor care and to be able to take necessary and quick action when needed to do so.

 

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