Some disturbing news from Sussex, reported by BBC local news:

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-40991641

“Police inquiries and unannounced inspections have been carried out at disability care homes in West Sussex.

They were in response to “significant safeguarding concerns” after a number of reported deaths.

The Care Quality Commission was alerted to Sussex Health Care services by West Sussex County Council…”

This story does not appear yet to have gone ‘national’, presumably pending the results of these initial investigations, and has only been re-reported by a few news agencies. 

We will monitor events. The CQC has been the subject of recent criticisms with regard to its regime of  regulation and inspection (which we have reported in our members’ newsletter Resnews); so let us hope regulatory failure (on top of the operational and financial pressures currently affecting care homes generally) has not contributed to the problems in West Sussex.

Regretably, we were alerted to this story by Rescare members (family carers) who have been affected by the investigations described in the news report.