Shocking neglect uncovered at two care homes in Cornwall

An undercover investigation has exposed shocking levels of neglect at two care homes in Cornwall.

Hidden camera footage filmed by BBC Panorama reporters recorded vulnerable people left unattended, including one left on a bed pan for 40 minutes, an out-of-date prescription supplement relabelled for use by another resident, and the threat of morphine being used to silence a resident.

One of the homes, Clinton House in St Austell, is closing down as a result of safety concerns and the other, St Theresa’s, in Callington near Plymouth, has been placed under investigation by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Cornwall council.

Two other nursing homes with the same owners – Morleigh Group – as those featured in Monday’s edition of Panorama are also being investigated.

The four care homes under scrutiny had all previously been rated as “requires improvement” by the CQC, which said it had had “serious concerns with the Morleigh Group for some time”.

The reporter Janice Finch booked into St Theresa’s and Clinton House posing as a resident. She witnessed staff rushed off their feet, compromising the privacy and dignity of some fellow residents. She paid £750 a week for a room where the bin was not emptied, the soap dispenser had no soap and the toilet seat was broken.

Another reporter worked as a care assistant at Clinton House, doing 14 shifts without her references being taken up or a criminal records check being completed.

Secret footage showed a nurse announcing her intention to give morphine to a resident “to shut her up”.

It also showed an elderly resident with severe dementia in a bed with a loose safety rail. The undercover reporter, worried that the resident might hurt herself, was advised to hold the rail in place with her foot.

The resident had a wound on her leg, and staff did not know how she had come by it even though she was supposed to be receiving 24-hour one-to-one care.

Trevor Doughty, Cornwall council’s strategic director for children, families and adults, said: “The health, wellbeing and dignity of residents absolutely comes first; we are shocked and saddened at the incidents reported by Panorama, and are very sorry that this has happened in these privately run homes. On behalf of everybody who dedicates their careers to keeping people safe, and seeing them treated with dignity and respect, I am sorry for what has happened in these homes.”

Andrea Sutcliffe, chief inspector of adult social care at the CQC, said the regulator had brought forward its inspections of Clinton House and St Theresa’s after Panorama had shared its concerns about the homes.

“We are taking tough action against the Morleigh Group to protect the people living in four of its nursing homes in Cornwall,” she said. “This follows a significant deterioration in the quality of care it has been providing as uncovered through our most recent inspections.”

The other two Morleigh Group homes under investigation are Elmsleigh in Par and Collamere in Lostwithiel.

Moreleigh Group said in a statement that investigations carried out prior to the receipt of information from Panorama had “resulted in the removal of the staff involved, together with a thorough review of our systems and procedures”.

Panorama: Nursing Homes Undercover will be broadcast on BBC1 on Monday 21 November at 8.30pm

Shocking neglect uncovered at two care homes in Cornwall

Genes linked to rare cancer affecting children and young adults uncovered

Scientists have uncovered a host of genes linked to a rare type of cancer that disproportionately affects children and young adults.

Sarcomas can develop in a range of tissues including muscle, bone, tendons and blood vessels. While they occur across all age groups, they make up 15% of all childhood cancers and more than 10% of cancers in those aged between 15 and 24.

While previous studies have highlighted a link between a handful of genes and an increased risk of sarcomas, the new research has flagged up many more, including links to mutations in genes such as BRCA2, which is known to be involved in the development of breast cancer.

“Up until now we have had almost no idea about what causes [sarcomas], apart from one or two known hereditary syndromes”, said Ian Judson, co-author of the research from the Institute of Cancer Research and The Royal Marsden. “The hereditary nature of a substantial proportion of sarcomas has never been reported before,” he added.

Judson believes the new research could lead to more tailored treatments for individuals. “If we understand the mechanism by which the cancer arises we are going to be much better placed to find the right treatment,” he said. The findings, he adds, could also open up new possibilities for testing and monitoring those at risk of developing sarcomas. “The earlier you find it, the better the outlook,” he said.

Published in The Lancet Oncology by an international team of scientists, the research involved 1,162 patients aged 15 or over, who had been diagnosed with sarcoma, and 6,545 healthy individuals. To explore possible genetic factors behind the disease, the researchers looked at the DNA of each sarcoma patient, examining 72 genes known to be linked to an increased risk of least one type of cancer.

The results reveal that 55% of the patients had a potentially harmful mutation in at least one of these genes, with just over 20% carrying more than one such genetic variant.

The research also revealed that carrying more than one of the potentially harmful mutations results in a higher likelihood of developing sarcoma at a younger age, with risk increasing with the number of mutations. That shows that genetic variants which by themselves only result in a small increase in the risk of sarcoma, can together boost the chances of developing cancer.

Judson believes the findings could change the way we view the hereditary side of cancers: the concept of so-called “cancer-families”. “I think it may change the way we think about cancer and inheritance if we find this susceptibility link with multiple genes in other cancers [as well],” he said.

Dr Áine McCarthy, Cancer Research UK’s senior science information officer, said the research was vital for improving treatments for sarcomas. “By studying the DNA of more than 1,000 sarcoma patients this study gives us new information about the genetic changes that drive its development,” she said. “It also offers potential new ways to treat sarcomas by identifying genetic mistakes in the disease that can be targeted with drugs.”

Genes linked to rare cancer affecting children and young adults uncovered

Dangers of donor egg pregnancies uncovered

Almost 18 per cent of girls who became pregnant following egg donation suffered substantial blood stress, the research found, compared with five per cent of other females undergoing fertility treatment method.

The risk of pre-eclampsia – a problem linked to high blood pressure, which can be fatal, rose from two.eight per cent to 11.two per cent.

Researchers mentioned it was attainable that the problems stemmed from changes in the embryo’s immune tolerance when it encountered female genes with different traits to those of the egg recipient.

In long term, it may possibly be possible that egg donors and recipients would be matched on genetic aspects, to boost immune tolerance, doctors explained.

Dr Helene Letur from the Institut Mutualiste Montsouris in Paris mentioned: “Our aim was to locate out no matter whether pregnancies from egg donation are genuinely linked with a greater danger of hypertension and pre-eclampsia than people from remedies employing the patient’s very own eggs.

“We would have to conclude from the results that egg donation itself is a threat factor for pregnancy-induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia.”

“This has expanding relevance due to the fact of the increasing number of egg donations.”

The French study’s findings presented to the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Munich examined 580 pregnancies between 2005 and 2011, including 217 in which the egg was donated.

Age manufactured only a little difference, whilst other variables, such as whether ladies had previously been pregnant or undergone IVF had no important result.

Researchers stated the substantial prevalence of large blood stress in the egg donation group meant doctors and individuals want to be a lot more conscious of the dangers.

Feasible biological explanations for the findings consist of modifications in the immune tolerance of the embryo, whose complete genome is not concordant with the recipient’s.

Dr Letur said the rise in blood strain could be an try by the entire body to boost exchanges in nutrients and oxygen amongst mom and foetus.

Dangers of donor egg pregnancies uncovered

Hospital drips: blood poisoning infant victim named as 3 a lot more instances uncovered

Yousef was currently being treated at the neonatal intensive care unit at St Thomas’ when he was given nutrients from the contaminated drip.

A statement launched on behalf of the Southwark coroner mentioned: “The death of Yousef al-Kharboush, aged nine days, of London Bridge location, Southwark, on June 1, 2014 at St Thomas’ Hospital, has been reported to the coroner.

“An investigation was opened on June 5, 2014 by the senior coroner, as he has purpose to suspect that the deceased died an unnatural death.

“Dr Andrew Harris, senior coroner, is holding a assessment meeting in public, to which interested individuals are invited to make submissions.

“The mother and father, the NHS Trust and an intravenous feed manufacturer are interested persons. The coroner will determine at this meeting regardless of whether an autopsy is essential and the original steps to be taken in this investigation.”

ITH Pharma claimed the lead to of the outbreak had been traced to a single raw ingredient utilised in the liquid feed.

The business said the source of the contamination was a single element, which could be a vitamin or lipid fats, but it has not been disclosed which company provided the ingredient or if it has been supplied to any other producers.

In a statement, the firm’s managing director, Karen Hamling, explained: “From investigations carried out so far, it would seem the potential contamination is linked to a sourced single raw materials ingredient.”

Health-related regulators are now carrying out their personal investigation into an incident which occurred final Thursday at the company’s London manufacturing plant.

Whilst the source of the contamination has not been completely recognized, it is recognized that the blood poisoning was induced by a widespread bacterium recognized as Bacillus cereus. It is widely identified in the surroundings in dust, soil and vegetation but develops swiftly, so any as-yet undetected cases are anticipated to emerge soon.

The newborns, most of whom have been premature, had been getting fed via a tube into their bloodstream because they had been also poorly to be fed by mouth.

Adam Burgess, the MHRA’s manager of the Defective Medicines Reporting Centre, said: “We have sent inspectors to the manufacturer’s facility to carry out a detailed and rigorous inspection and we have ensured that the probably affected medication is recalled.”

Even so, a spokesman for the Medicines and Healthcare goods Regulatory Company (MHRA) explained he had witnessed no evidence to assistance that theory, insisting that they would be conducting their very own thorough investigation. He explained: “The MHRA has no proof to assistance the ITH Pharma statement at this stage.”

Fifteen cases have been recognized but that figure grew when it emerged that 3 infants who became sick last week had also been fed employing the contaminated batch.

The new cases have been at Peterborough City Hospital, Southend University Hospital and Basildon University Hospital.

No infants have fallen sick since Tuesday when batches of the contaminated feeds, which had been sent to 22 hospitals, passed their use-by date. Any remaining stocks have been recalled.

Paediatric doctors on Wednesday said the contamination was “every parent’s worst nightmare” and that urgent action need to be taken to enhance the security of processes to create such nutrition.

Adam Finn, professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol, stated: “When a medication makes patients sick, it is everyone’s worst nightmare. Possessing stopped the outbreak, the subsequent priority will be to understand how it came to occur and guarantee it are not able to recur.”

Hospital drips: blood poisoning infant victim named as 3 a lot more instances uncovered

Uncovered: Ed Miliband"s Pfizer insider in the shadow Cabinet

At the time Mr Smith boasted that Pfizer had been “extremely supportive” of his aspirations to public workplace. Mr Smith left Pfizer in September 2008 when he joined British biotech company Amgen. He was elected MP for Pontypridd in Could 2010.

Mr Smith is a former producer of the BBC Wales political programme Dragon’s Eye. He has also worked as a particular adviser for Torfaen MP Paul Murphy when he was Welsh Secretary and Northern Ireland Secretary.

Till now Mr Smith – who joined the shadow Cabinet as Welsh spokesman in Might 2012 – has remained publicly silent on the deal.

Mr Smith admitted to the Sunday Telegraph‘s Folks diary that “naturally getting worked there I am almost certainly alittle far more knowing than some of people other members” about Pfizer, but he was talking to him ” as any other member of the shadow Cabinet”.

But he explained he had not been dispensing unique tips and explained Mr Miliband was appropriate to oppose the bid, saying he is in “absolutely the right position on this” and “the national curiosity is becoming served”.

Mr Smith said Mr Miliband was right to oppose the bid, saying he is in “absolutely the proper position on this” and “the national curiosity is currently being served”.

His concern was that Pfizer would discover it less difficult to shut Uk operations that Astra Zeneca. He mentioned: “Brilliant even though Pfizer may possibly be it is an American firm, and American to its finger tips.

“And any foreign owned business – given that the model is predicated on growth and contraction, if difficult instances come the places exactly where they contract really don’t tend to be the bits that are closer to residence.”

Mr Smith stated he was paid £80,000 a year to lobby for Pfizer. And he has not received a penny since he left the firm. “I really do not work for Pfizer. I left Pfizer and I am a Labour MP,” he mentioned.

Nevertheless it is not challenging to imagine Pfizer’s disappointment that its significant cash investment in Mr Smith might have yielded a far better return than this.

Uncovered: Ed Miliband"s Pfizer insider in the shadow Cabinet