Friday June 11th 2021
A private nursing home that was been given weeks by the Care Inspectorate to improve its fire safety procedures or lose its registration has decided to close.
Adamwood Nursing Home, Musselburgh, was served with an Improvement Notice after inspectors visited the home amid concern for people’s safety.
A report by inspectors said people’s safety at the home had been ‘compromised’ by poor maintenance of the home, with concerns about fire doors and glass not being maintained or upgraded.
The visit was sparked after Scottish Fire and Rescue service issued an enforcement notice on provider Rollandene Ltd.
A Care Inspectorate report revealed it sent the home a letter of serious concern, following the enforcement notice, ordering the home with immediate effect to increase staff on duty at night to ensure safe evacuation of residents in the event of a fire or other emergency.
It had also been ordered to introduce a fire safety consultant to draw up a plan for the home including training for staff and evacuations procedures and to introduce a valid electrical installation condition test and have a valid test certificate available.
Despite meeting the requirement ahead of the inspectors visit on June 1, the home received a grade two rating or ‘weak’ for the quality of its leadership, its setting and care and support during the Covid pandemic.
The inspector’s report said: “Although the improvements made met the requirements in the letter of serious concern, the sustainability of these improvements needed to be demonstrated.
“People’s safety was compromised because of poor maintenance of the home, particularly around reducing the risks of fire.
“Evacuation of people in the event of a fire would also need to be undertaken quickly because fire doors and glass had not been well maintained or upgraded.”
Adamwood Nursing Home is a private facility on Ravensheugh Road with capacity for 13 residents.
The Improvement Notice issued to the home had given them until June 14 to “promote the health, welfare and safety of people living in the home and protect them from harm”.
It stated the home “must ensure there are sufficient staff on night duty to facilitate the safe evacuation of residents from the care home in the event of a fire or other emergency event. Staffing levels must be sustained at the level to ensure people living in the home are safe. ”
It had also been given until July 24 to ensure that all staff have the appropriate fire safety training to keep people safe and to meet the terms of the Scottish Fire Service enforcement notice.
The Improvement Notice says: “The Care Inspectorate hereby gives you notice that unless there is a significant improvement in provision of the service, it intends to make a proposal to cancel your registration.”
A spokesperson for the East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership said: “We will work with the nursing home to provide support in relation to the issues raised.”
However, the owner of a care home has now said she has taken the decision to close the facility after three decades of operating in Musselburgh.
Adamswood Nursing Home’s Mairi Wood said: “After 31 years of service at Adamwood Nursing Home, and at 78-years-old, I have taken the decision to step into retirement and close the home.
“My husband and I built Adamwood Nursing Home from a derelict building in Musselburgh which became an important lifeline to many in our local community.
“Care has played an integral part in my life, and the residents I have served over the years have become close friends.
“Informing the residents and their families of my decision has been extremely difficult and has left many understandably disappointed and saddened.
“It is important to me that everyone involved in Adamwood Nursing Home continues to receive the best care possible.
“With that in mind, every resident and member of staff will be rehomed and relocated to local care homes which I trust wholeheartedly.
“This is a decision I haven’t taken lightly, but after three decades of service in the local community I feel now is the right time to step down.
“I would like to thank all present and past staff, residents and their families for supporting me over the years.”
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