'Unsafe' care home closed as improvements not made

An "unsafe" nursing home has been closed after it failed to make improvements recommended by inspectors.

Elmhurst Care Home on Pollard Lane in Bradford was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after a visit by the regulator in December 2024.

Inspectors said residents were "not safe and were at risk of avoidable harm" and placed the home into special measures.

Bradford Council said it was crucial that residents were kept safe, but the owners of the home said they were "shocked and saddened" by the closure.

During December's inspection, the CQC found Elmhurst breached regulations around care, medicines and risk management.

Inspectors found residents were not receiving consistently person-centred care that met their needs, and decisions were often made for residents and not with them.

Sheila Grant, from the CQC, said the regulator expected "rapid and continued improvements" to be made at Elmhurst, and that it would be monitored closely.

A Bradford Council spokesperson said it had terminated its contract with Elmhurst Care Home "with immediate effect, due to concerns regarding the required improvements... not being made in an appropriate timescale leading to increased levels of risk".

However, the owners of Elmhurst said they had been working with the council to make the improvements they knew were required.

They said: "We worked closely with the council to address their concerns and had been under the impression that they had recognised the real improvements taking place.

"We supplied improvement plans and made a commitment to investment to further build on the improvements being made.

"Indeed, we were explicitly informed by the Bradford Council team that the timescales were reasonable and would not be considered unachievable."

The council said: "Terminating our contract with Elmhurst Care Home is a not a decision that we have taken lightly, and we recognise this is a very distressing and worrying time for residents, their families and carers but it is crucial we ensure residents are kept safe at all times.

"The council's social work team supported all residents to alternative accommodation and have since followed up to ensure their care and wellbeing has been maintained throughout this time."

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