Coronavirus: Threat to revoke licence for aged-care home Newmarch House where 16 have died
The aged-care quality control body is threatening to revoke the licence of Newmarch House nursing home after the death of 16 residents from COVID-19.
The government’s aged-care quality control body is threatening to revoke the licence of Anglicare’s Newmarch House nursing home after the death of 16 elderly residents from COVID-19.
The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission, which regulates aged-care standards, issued the facility with a Notice to Agree on Wednesday afternoon, citing four conditions the facility, in Sydney’s west, must accept by 5pm on Thursday or risk having its licence to provide aged care revoked.
The conditions include a commitment to allow no new residents to the aged-care home, and to accept an independent adviser nominated by the commission to “ensure the safety and wellbeing of care recipients”.
The commission called out the facility’s lack of systems and processes to control the outbreak, and the lack of information provided to residents’ families as two of the reasons for taking its action.
If Newmarch House fails to accept the notice, its approval to provide aged care subsidised by the government can be revoked.
“The commission has identified that there is an immediate and severe risk to the health, safety and wellbeing of care recipients at (Newmarch House),” the notice said. “(It) has serious concerns in relation to the approved provider’s compliance with respect to (a range of quality standards).”
Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner Janet Anderson said the COVID-19 outbreak at Newmarch House “has been one of the most devastating in Australia, with 16 residents having lost their lives to the virus”.
“This is a tragic situation, and the anxiety and grief experienced by residents, their family members and staff has had an impact on all Australians,” Ms Anderson said.
“The commission has escalated our enforcement as a consequence of continued evidence of lack of effective infection control, and of immediate and severe risk to the safety, health and wellbeing of residents at Newmarch House.”
The warning has been met with trepidation by many of the families with loved ones inside the facility who have already been grappling with whether they should “uproot” their elderly relatives and transfer them to a hospital or allow them to stay on at Newmarch House throughout the crisis.
Like many of the facility’s residents, Annette Keighley’s 87-year-old mother, Jean Lewis, is suffering from dementia and her daughter is concerned moving her to an unfamiliar environment could prove more detrimental to her health than remaining in the home.
While her mother had so far tested negative for the deadly virus, Ms Keighley said the manner in which Anglicare had handled the outbreak had left her “wondering daily” if the facility’s operator could be trusted to keep her mother safe.
“I’m sure she is scared, but it’s hard to tell,” Ms Keighley, 57, told The Australian.
“She is just hanging in there and doing the best she can (but) moving her could just confuse and upset her.”
Anglicare Sydney chief Grant Millard moved to reassure concerned families and the public that the situation at Newmarch House was now well in hand.
“We acknowledge the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission have … taken regulatory action, including appointing an independent adviser to provide additional support to Newmarch House,” Mr Millard said.
“Since the outbreak, we have had generous support of providers in the aged-care sector, including commonwealth and NSW governments, and various agencies.
“While the outbreak at Newmarch House has proved very challenging for all involved, the situation has substantially improved. We will continue to collaborate with key stakeholders as we work through the continuing challenges in the coming weeks.
“Our primary concern remains the health, wellbeing and safety of our residents, their families and our staff.”
There have now been 66 infections at the home — 29 staff and 37 residents, almost 40 per cent of the home’s occupants — since the virus was first detected there on April 11 when a part-time carer tested positive after working six shifts while suffering “minor symptoms”.
It also emerged on Wednesday that two clinicians employed by private company Aspen Medical worked on the Ruby Princess cruise ship until it departed Port Kembla on April 23 before working at Newmarch on April 25.
NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant said there was “no indication” the private medical contractors — who have both tested negative — had brought the virus into the aged-care home.
A spokesman for Aspen Medical told The Australian that both clinicians had significant experience in infection control and had worn “full PPE whilst at Newmarch House”.
The aged-care royal commission has confirmed it will examine the fatal Newmarch House coronavirus outbreak as part of its final deliberations.
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