George Ritchie

Although The Meadows Nursing Home's former Care Home Manager and former Clinical Lead and Deputy Manager accepted in evidence that Mr. Ritchie was a high risk of falling, the falls risk assessments and care plans in place for him from December 2024 onwards were wholly inadequate. Not only were those documents not completed properly, but there was no system of checks and oversight in place to ensure that they were being completed properly. One of those who failed to complete the falls risk assessment correctly was the Clinical Lead and Deputy Manager. There was no system in place from above her to ensure that she was doing her job correctly. From January 2025 Cardinal Healthcare's newly appointed Operations Manager, with a wealth of experience as a Care Home manager herself, was meant to address the many concerns about the Meadows Nursing Home raised in recent CQC inspections. There was no evidence that she had even attempted to put in place some sort of supervision or oversight at The Meadows Nursing Home to ensure that important documents like these, which played a key part in keeping residents safe, were completed properly. I am also concerned that there appears to have been no recognition by Cardinal Healthcare that night-time staffing levels at The Meadows Nursing Home at the material time were concerningly low, and required addressing. The Meadows Nursing Home may now have closed, but Cardinal Healthcare continues to operate other nursing homes in other parts of the country. I am concerned that if Cardinal Healthcare failed to put in place at The Meadows Nursing Home sufficient oversight to ensure documentation was being completed correctly, and failed to recognize and act upon low staffing levels, there will remain a risk that the lives of residents at their other nursing homes may be put at risk.