Covid outbreak at under-fire facility

Several staff and residents have tested positive at a west Fife care home which was recently criticised for its prevention measures.

Efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus have been stepped up at Craigie House Care Home in Crossgates in light of the new outbreak, affecting 25 people, as cases continue to rise across the region.

Visiting at the facility, which is privately run by Kingdom Homes Limited, has now been suspended.

NHS Fife’ s health protection team and Fife health and social care partnership say they are working closely with Fife Council’s environmental health department to support the management of the care home and offer advice to reduce further transmission of the virus.

The news emerged as NHS Tayside revealed four care homes or supported living accommodation have cases of Covid -19. There are two each in Dundee and Perth and Kin ross, with none currently in Angus. NHS Fife could not say how many homes had cases.

News of the outbreak comes just a few weeks after management at Craigie House were told to make urgent improvements after the Care Inspectorate rated its performance during the pandemic as “weak”.

That came after an unannounced inspection at the end of August raised serious concerns about infection control practices.

Kingdom Homes was told to ensure there are sufficiently trained housekeeping staff on duty and to create enhanced cleaning schedules.

The Care Inspectorate said staff and essential visitors should have been having their temperatures recorded and a medical questionnaire relating to Covid -19 symptoms completed before they were allowed into the care home.

However, visitors were directed past the lounge area and through a corridor to the duty room prior to this being done.

“This put people in the service at risk of being in contact with people with Covid-19 symptoms,” said the report.

Inspectors also said care staff told them they were being regularly asked to pick up cleaning tasks on top of their caring duties.

“This meant that staff had less time available to spend meeting people’s needs,” the report said.

When inspectors pointed out carpets on the staircase and the corridors of the first and second floor were in poor condition and appeared dirty, they were told improvements to the premises had been paused due to the pandemic.

They also highlighted a lack of management oversight of daily and weekly enhanced cleaning schedules, meaning they could not be assured satisfactory levels of cleanliness were being consistently maintained.

Covid cases which have forced the temporary closure of a Perth butcher shop for 14 days have been linked to an earlier outbreak at Dunning.

DG Lindsay and Son has shut after two members of staff tested positive.

It has emerged there was a clear connection between the positive cases and last week’s outbreak involving three employees at Simon Howie’s factory.

The Courier understands a member of staff at the North Methven Street butcher is a contact of an infected worker at Simon Howie’s.

Perth and Kinross Council was questioned over a statement issued on Wednesday, which said there was no link.

It said further comment could breach patient confidentiality.