Winchester News Online
Fordingbridge Care Home fined £150,000 after one of their residents died from Legionnaires’ Disease.
Sentinel Health Care Ltd has been fined £150,000 after pleading guilty to “failing to provide safe care and treatment” which lead to a resident’s death back in November 2017.
Andrew Clegg contracted the fatal case of Legionella Pneumonia whilst under the care of Sentinel’s Fordingbridge Care Home.
Andy, 56, died just two weeks after being admitted to Salisbury District Hospital where he was diagnosed with the lung infection. The disease develops from exposure to Legionella- a bacterium that lives within water droplets.
Records show that the bacteria reached as high as 100 times the recommended level for action to be taken so to prevent further increases in legionella.
The care providers were charged £150,000 just before Christmas but Andy’s family still feel “no sense of relief or justice” three years on from their loss.
According to Andy’s family, the home initially neglected to tell them that Andy was even in hospital. Meanwhile, Salisbury hospital “didn’t even know that Andy had siblings who visited him regularly”, leaving Andy to suffer alone.
Andy’s family still feel “broken” by the experience and the care providers, who neglected to give a “proper apology”, despite their prosecution at Southampton Magistrates Court by the Care Quality Commission.
Andy’s brother Matt Clegg said that “naming and shaming Sentinel Health Care is the only thing that can be done now”. He told WINOL:
“I just wanted them to say the word ‘sorry’ but we never got that. They never really linked themselves to Andy’s completely preventable death”.
“It was so hard because we lost our brother, and he might have mental health issues but he really was the life and soul of the party”.
The family decided to move Andy to Fordingbridge care home, back in April 2017, because they felt “it was the only safe option” since he couldn’t be left unsupervised due to his worsening mental health.
Matt said that they “grilled” the home, asking “a lot of questions” before settling with Fordingbridge Care Home and were assured that “they weren’t in it for the money”.
When the care home refused to cooperate after Andy’s death, the family turned to legal service Irwin Mitchell. Their solicitor Jatinder Paul described the case as “incredibly sad”, telling WINOL:
“I felt, from the outset, that Andy’s family had to pursue Sentinel Healthcare with my help in their quest for answers. They remained steadfast throughout the civil claim, the inquest and the criminal prosecution which most recently led to the successful conviction of Sentinel Healthcare.”
The family and solicitor’s initial struggle to bring the case an inquest concluded, back in March 2019, with the coroner recording “matters of concern” surrounding the staff and their training as well as the architectural design of the building itself. The proximity of the hot and cold-water pipes facilitated heat transfer and therefore the suitable temperature for legionella to grow.
Andy’s family hope the coroner’s report that was sent to the Royal Institute of British Architects and the Care Quality Commission will continue to “prevent cases like Andy’s happening again”.
They said: “Most people have someone close to them in care, so this story is important whether it’s now or in ten years’ time.”
Park and ride users in Winchester will pay an extra pound per day from next month.
Winchester City Council posted “notices of variation for charges” across park & ride car parks.
It said that the price for all-day parking will increase from £3.50 to £4.50 and seasonal tickets will rise by 28%.
Some park and ride users were critical of the increase.
One woman, who uses the service regularly, said: “I’m surprised. I haven’t read anything about that at all.
“It does seem quite a steep rise.”
A tourist visiting from Canada said: “I think the service will remain high class, but it may be a hardship for some people who may find it less affordable.”
But another man, who lives in Winchester, said: “It’s so easy, it’s worth paying. I mean, where else would we park in Winchester?”
The Winchester Green Party said any increase in charges needs to be considered carefully to ensure that users are not put off using the service.
“Park and ride plays an important role in Winchester’s transport network.
“It helps reduce congestion in the city centre, supports air quality objectives and provides an alternative to driving into some of Winchester’s busiest streets.
“From a climate perspective, the long-term objective should be to make sustainable travel options attractive, convenient and accessible.
“For many residents and visitors, park and ride remains an important part of that mix, particularly for journeys where walking, cycling or conventional public transport are not practical.”
The council said it will still be free to park on Sundays but there are no buses.
Drivers can also park for free after 4pm as long as they get a ticket.
Winchester City Council was contacted for a response.
A man threw a chair and threatened bystanders in the centre of Gosport on Friday.
Police say the man, who was behaving aggressively, threw the chair on the ground and shouted threats at nearby shoppers before running away. No one was injured.
It happened just before noon, outside a Greggs Bakery on the High Street.
Hampshire Police say the man was white, bald and in his late 40s. He was wearing a baseball cap and a grey hoodie.
Officers are asking anyone who saw the incident to contact them.
Twelve people were arrested after 350 anti-migrant protestors clashed with police overnight in Gosport following reports of a small boat landing in the area.
A small number of officers needed medical treatment following the protests near Walpole car park.
Assistant Chief Constable Simon Dodds said: “Violence and criminal damage have no part in peaceful protest, our position on this has been clear that we will investigate thoroughly and take robust action against anyone responsible.
“Our officers did not deserve to be assaulted as they worked incredibly diligently on Sunday to ensure the safety of everyone in the area.”
Police had banned face coverings and had issued a dispersal order ahead of the protests across Gosport.
Those arrested were held on suspicion of assaulting officers or being drunk and disorderly.
The protest marks an increase in tensions within the UK after protests at Portsmouth, Taunton, Basingstoke and Glasgow in recent months.
Gosport Reform UK councilor Paul Carter told GB News: “If you think about this last night, no one really knew what was happening… I think a lot of people are really worried.”
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