AN investigation has been launched into the care an 87-year-old woman received before she died at a Notts care home.
The police inquiry into the death on August 10 has come to light after it was announced yesterday that Spring Lane Residential Home in Lambley had been temporarily closed because ''unacceptable failings'' had been found by the Care Quality Commission.
The Government watchdog said it had been forced to take urgent legal action to de-register the home to temporarily stop it from running.
Notts County Council has confirmed that it is investigating 16 claims of alleged neglect. On Friday, October 5, CQC inspectors carried out an unannounced visit and found people were at risk of receiving unsafe and inappropriate care. Further information suggested that a number of residents had sustained bruising.
Andrea Gordon, deputy director of operations for CQC, said: "The failings we witnessed at Spring Lane Residential Home were completely unacceptable. The CQC took swift action to protect the safety and wellbeing of people by moving to urgently cancel this home's registration, meaning it could no longer operate.
"Taking action leading to the closure of any service is not something that we take lightly, but when we find very poor practice, as we did in this case, we have no choice but to take action to protect the safety and welfare of people.''
On Tuesday the CQC successfully applied to magistrates to cancel the registration of the home with immediate effect. David Hamilton, service director for personal care and support for older people at the county council, said: "We have been working closely with the CQC to address concerns about standards of care at the home. Although some improvements have been made, we remained extremely concerned at the standard of care provided.
"The county council will not tolerate the poor standards we witnessed at this home and wholly support the swift action taken by the CQC to protect the safety and wellbeing of residents."
A Notts Police spokesman said: "We are working on behalf of the coroner and in consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, Notts County Council's Social Care and the CQC on an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of an 87-year-old woman at Spring Lane Residential Home on August 10 and the level of care she received."
Leader of Gedling Borough Council John Clarke said: "Since June 2011, there have been some serious allegations that should have been investigated fully. Instead it has taken the closure of the home before Notts County Council has taken any kind of real action and removed elderly people from this home.
"There are examples of failing care homes across the county and action needs to be taken urgently by the council. The Conservatives have cut £65 million from the adult and social care budget, and this is clearly having an effect on the level of care.
"I am calling for an urgent review into Notts care homes immediately.''
The care home owners are expected to make a statement today.
