Closed care home residents moved

The elderly residents were moved out on Friday to alternative accomodation

Residents of a private care home which is being investigated over six patients' deaths have been re-homed.

The 26 people at Briars Retirement Home, Bitterne Park, Southampton, were moved to other care and nursing homes.

A court order was obtained by the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) which claimed the welfare of the residents was "at serious risk".

Police raided the home on 17 September following allegations of neglect. Owner Annette Hopkins has denied the claims.

The death of Ronald Reed, 81, who died at Southampton General Hospital on 9 August, is one of the cases being investigated.

A coroner found he died from natural causes, Hampshire Police said.

Over a period of time there have been some issues that have arisen that have caused the CSCI and the police to have concerns Dr John Beer Southampton City Council

The court order cancels the registration of the care home, in Thorold Road, meaning it can no longer legally operate.

The CSCI said inspectors visited the home in light of the police raid and found some of the residents needed urgent nursing care.

Of the 26 elderly residents moved out on Friday, 14 have been placed in residential care homes - one which is council-run.

Eleven are now in nursing homes and one is in hospital.

A council spokesman said the measures taken were "temporary" and the council would be working with families to determine what was the best for their relatives.

The new accommodation the former Briars residents have been moved to is all within the city or on the outskirts.

Dr John Beer, executive director of communities, health and care at Southampton City Council, said: "There had been some concerns in the care practices in the previous year and the CSCI had gone in and asked for improvements to take place.

"[The CSCI] had been satisfied last November, that those improvements were in place and they were satisfied the home was being run on a sound basis at that point.

"Clearly over a period of time there have been some issues that have arisen that have caused the CSCI and the police to have concerns and there is an investigation into that."

Dr Beer added that "some relatives were very happy with the care being provided and some queried the need for a home closure and their relative to be moved".

He said the move was "in the residents' best interests".