Police have launched a murder investigation after two elderly people died in quick succession at a nursing home in Nottinghamshire.
Two women who work at the home were arrested, then released without charge as part of the investigation. They have since been suspended from duty, officers said.
The deaths occurred on 2 and 3 August and the people who died have not yet been named. They were residents at the Springwater Lodge care home in the village of Calverton, north of Nottingham.
“We are deeply shocked and distressed by these allegations,” said a spokeswoman for HC One, the company that runs the care home. She said the firm was cooperating with police and would be staying in close contact with the local council and the regulator.
“Staff, residents and relatives will be kept as updated as possible and full management support is in place while police inquiries are ongoing,” she said. “We have brought in additional staff to ensure we can deliver continuity of care to our residents. We want to thank them, and their relatives, for their support at this very difficult time and reiterate that we will do everything we can to support the investigation.”
Springwater Lodge is a purpose-built 50-bed facility that offers dementia, nursing, residential day care and end of life care for people aged 60 and over.
After the home’s last inspection in March 2015, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said the service was not always safe. “People may not receive their medicines as intended due to errors in the handling and administration of medicines. Some areas of the home were not kept sufficiently clean,” it said.
It also said people were “not always protected against the risks associated with medicines because, although the provider had appropriate arrangements in place to manage them safely, these procedures were not always followed”.
But the CQC added: “People felt safe and the risk of abuse was minimised because the provider had systems in place to recognise and respond to allegations or incidents. Care and support was provided when people needed it as there were enough staff available to meet their needs.”
