The manager of a troubled north-east care home has left her post – while investigations by two industry watchdogs have been launched.
Kingsmead Nursing Home in Kingswells is being investigated by both the Care Inspectorate and the Nursing Midwifery Council, amid concerns about the treatment of residents.
Now the Press and Journal can reveal manager Esther Leaver has left the home, just weeks after it emerged another nurse had force-fed pensioners their medication.
It is understood she and the home’s director of care, Julie Seehuber, are being investigated by the NMC.
The Care Inspectorate, meanwhile, are looking into complaints by the relatives of some of the residents, with some of the concerns relating to the treatment of their loved ones and being granted limited access to them.
Ms Leaver, a registered nurse, is understood to have left her role in recent weeks having been employed at the home since October last year. Her job is currently being advertised.
When approached by the Press and Journal, she declined to comment.
Ms Seehuber, also a registered nurse, is the director of care for Mead Medical Services, the company which operates Kingsmead as well as six other homes across Scotland.
A spokesman for the Care Inspectorate said: “A concern has been raised with us about this care home and we are looking into it.
“The health, safety and wellbeing of residents is always our first priority and we take all concerns raised with us seriously and investigate them carefully.
“Where we uphold a complaint we publish the outcome on our website.
“We are currently inspecting this service and will report on the findings of that inspection in due course.
“Everyone in Scotland has the right to safe, compassionate care which meets their needs and respects their rights.”
With regards to the managerial position at the home, the spokesman added: “Having met with the provider this week, to discuss the outcome of our recent inspection, we are aware of proposed changes in the arrangements for managing this service.”
The home, which is registered for up to 65 patients, caters to pensioners with issues such as dementia, mental illnesses and learning disabilities.
Earlier this month, the NMC suspended Dorothy Clark for a year after finding she had force-fed elderly residents medication, by approaching them from behind or the side and pushing tablets into their mouth using a spoon.
Clark, who had a career spanning 40 years, retired from the profession before the hearing took place.
And last November a report by the Care Inspectorate raised a number of “significant concerns” about the way residents were cared for by staff, with some families telling inspectors they had “lost confidence” in the senior management team.
In the report, the home received a rating of one in the quality of staffing category – the lowest available – and a two in the category of quality of management and leadership.
But after a further inspection, a fresh report in May this year found the quality of staffing, management and leadership had all gone up to grade three.
A spokesman for the NMC said he could not comment on an ongoing case.
