Staff shortages blamed as Leeds care home closes nursing wing

Donisthorpe Hall in Moortown was rated “inadequate” by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and placed into special measures following an inspection last year.

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The CQC said the use of agency workers in the home’s Silver Lodge nursing centre had a detrimental effect on care and the home’s chairman of trustees said the closure was the only way to save the rest of the facility.

In a statement, Dr Robert Ross said: “The constant turnover of short-term staff means we cannot, with any confidence, demonstrate to the CQC that our care plans and record keeping are up to date. This is not something that can be rectified in the current climate of nursing shortages.

“The upshot is that we are unable to provide safe care for your loved ones in accordance with the CQC guidelines.

“We were concerned that Silver Lodge was likely to fail its next inspection and that would mean closure of the whole home.”

He told the YEP: “Donisthorpe can’t recruit permanent nursing staff so is overly reliant on agency staff – there are more than 1,000 unfilled nursing vacancies in Leeds alone.”

The CQC reported: “People who used the service were not protected against the risks associated with the administration, use and management of medicines. People told us there were not enough staff and they sometimes received care from staff they did not know.”