Skye care home keeps licence as court action dropped

The private care home provider for a coronavirus-hit facility on Skye will keep its licence after legal action was dropped.

The Care Inspectorate said it will no longer pursue the cancellation of HC-One’s registration of Home Farm in Portree as there has been a “considerable improvement in the quality of care experienced by residents”.

An application had previously been submitted to the sheriff court to end HC One’s registration following the deaths of ten residents with Covid-19.

An unannounced inspection of Home Farm by the Care Inspectorate in May raised “serious concerns”.

NHS Highland then revealed it would step in to provide “enhanced assistance” to HC-One at its Skye facility, before the Care Inspectorate’s decision to launch legal action.

A spokesperson for the Care Inspectorate said: “The Care Inspectorate initiated court proceedings seeking the cancellation of the registration of the care provider at Home Farm care home in May.

“We did this following an inspection which raised serious concerns.

“We have monitored the home carefully and we are satisfied that there has been considerable improvement in the quality of care experienced by residents and the issues that were putting them at serious risk have been addressed.

“In light of this we have decided to no longer pursue the cancellation of the service’s registration through the courts.”