Inspections of nursing homes continue and we can see that the vaccination programme has been very effective at reducing the impact of COVID-19 in nursing homes.
In recent weeks, only very small numbers of nursing homes have reported cases of COVID-19 among staff and residents and, when they have occurred, the outbreaks have mostly been small numbers of staff, and in some cases a small number of residents.
We continue to focus on the lived experience of residents through our inspections, speaking to residents about their day-to-day life, and their experience of the care and support provided to them. We also continue to focus on the governance and management arrangements, as these are key to the effective running of a nursing home.
During inspections, we have been aware of providers reviewing the infection prevention and control arrangements in their services, and ensuring there are contingency plans in place should there be any further outbreaks. The vaccination of staff and residents is largely completed and there are systems in place for new residents to receive a vaccine on entering nursing homes where required.
Visiting arrangements are now back in nursing homes which has been a very positive development for residents and their families and friends. Residents have told us that there is a feeling that things are returning to normal.
Registration renewals
All nursing homes are registered for three years, and each provider has to re-apply every three years in order to continue operating their nursing home. June sees the end of the current three-year cycle of regulation. We assess all renewal applications to confirm providers are meeting the regulations and standards. While we receive some applications that provide all the necessary details, there are many applications where we need to engage with the provider for additional information. For providers who will be submitting applications shortly, please see below a list of common issues we have identified in the documents submitted:
- The floor plans and description of the service in the statement of purpose do not match.
- The floor plans do not detail the size and primary function of each room.
- The required information for the person in charge or other people named on the application are not submitted.
Recruitment of inspectors
Recommendation 14.3 of the COVID-19 Nursing Home Expert Panel Report recommended an increase in the number of inspections of nursing homes. A significant programme of recruitment of inspectors is underway to ensure we are resourced to achieve this recommendation.