SOUTHERN CROSS ELDERLY RESIDENT HOMES IN HILLINGDON

That this House notes with extreme concern the reports of the poor standards of care in the residential homes for the elderly owned by Southern Cross in the London Borough of Hillingdon, largely resulting from insufficient numbers of staff, working long hours without adequate support, management or training; further notes that Hillingdon Council and Primary Care Trust have at last suspended the placement of elderly people within these homes; and calls upon the Secretary of State for Health to launch an immediate investigation into care standards in these homes, and the role of the local authority in safeguarding the elderly residents in these settings, to take urgent action to protect the residents of the homes and to improve standards of care, including the withdrawal of contracts from Southern Cross.