Suffolk County Council yet to lift suspension on new admissions to Mildenhall care home
An underperforming care home in Mildenhall is still not receiving new admissions from Suffolk County Council - more than five months after they were first suspended.
Mildenhall Lodge received a crititcal report from government watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) just six weeks ater it opened following an inspection in July.
However, it was revealed in October that the county council halted new admissions to the care home, managed by private provider Care UK, two days before the inspection.
The council has yet to lift its embargo on admissions, choosing to wait for the report from a third CQC inspection of the home in December before making a decision.
County council cabinet member for adult care Alan Murray said: “Before we consider sending more residents to the Mildenhall Lodge we must ensure it has been given the all-clear by the CQC.
“We know there have been significant improvements at the home through our regular monitoring, but we need to have the full report before we can take any decision.
“We are keen to begin admitting new residents into the home as soon as possible.”
Following an inspection on July 31, enforcement action was taken against the care home after serious failings in patient care were uncovered.
After a second inspection on September 26 ‘some concerns’ still remained.
Care UK’s regional operations director Rachel Gilbert said: “We have had some very positive feedback from the residents and their families.
“We are continuing to make improvements in line with the feedback we’ve had from Suffolk County Council, the CQC and residents during the first months of operation.”
Ms Gilbert added that Care UK’s reopening of Davers Court care home, in Bury, had gone ‘very smoothly’.
A CQC spokeswoman said: “The report relating to this inspection (on December 17 and 22) will be published on CQC’s website in due course.
“In the meantime, we continue to monitor the service and work closely with the local authority.”
