Nethercrest Nursing Home: Dudley care home to close due to staff shortages
A Dudley care home looking after almost 30 people is to shut after bosses struggled to recruit trained nurses.
Nethercrest Nursing Home, on Brewster Street in Netherton, was told to improve by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after an inspection last year, which uncovered staffing shortages.
Yesterday operator Astonbrook Care Homes said the 37-bed facility would close due to difficulties recruiting permanent trained nursing staff.
It said the situation was worse in Dudley than elsewhere in the country. The home, which looks after people with physical disabilities or dementia, has 33 members of staff.
Families were told of the decision last week. No date has yet been set for the closure.
Dudley Council is working with the home and families to find alternative care for the residents.
In a statement, operators said: “It is a decision that has been triggered by the extreme difficulties of recruiting permanent additional members for the nursing team and a clinical lead in particular. While there is a well publicised national shortage of qualified nurses the situation in Dudley is even more acute.”
Lucy Holl, the home’s operations director, added: “Faced with the prospect of not being able to recruit trained nurses now, or in the foreseeable future, this regrettable decision is the only course of action open to us.
“Every step necessary will be taken to minimise disruption to residents and to ensure their move to care facilities suited to their nursing, care and personal needs is smooth and caring.
“The home will close once we have helped and supported residents and their family members to find new and appropriate homes. This may take a number of weeks.”
Councillor Nicolas Barlow, cabinet member for adult social care at the council, said: “The safety and welfare of people at Nethercrest is our top priority and we are working with the owners of the home to ensure this remains the case.”
The CQC report published in December ordered improvements in safety, care and management and rated it as ‘requires improvement’.
A report said: “Staff we spoke with felt there could be more staff available to support people.”
The full report can be read here.
