Care home deaths inquiry advised

A public inquiry should be set up into the deaths of several elderly residents from the same care home, the Birmingham Coroner has suggested.

Aidan Cotter has been asked to examine the deaths at the Maypole Nursing Home, Kings Heath, after recent allegations.

He said he would face "obvious difficulties" investigating the deaths and had no legal authority to investigate a nursing home himself.

Mr Cotter added a public inquiry would have a wider remit than an inquest.

The Maypole Nursing Home closed in March 2003 after officials raised "serious concerns" about standards after an inspection.

Dr Jamalapuram Hari Gopal and his wife, Pratury Samrajya Lakshmi, ran the 36-bed home on Alcester Road South, Kings Heath and were suspended following the inspection.

I do not have the necessary legal authority to investigate a nursing home. Birmingham Coroner, Aidan Cotter

From 2002-2003, 28 residents died and the home failed to notify care standard officials of 15 of these deaths.

Thirteen deaths were referred to Mr Cotter.

In a statement, the coroner did not confirm the exact number of deaths but said the Birmingham and Black Country Strategic Health Authority had referred to him "certain deaths" at the home.

It said: "A public inquiry could be given wider terms of reference than are available to me at an inquest.

"Inquests are concerned with investigating deaths. I do not have the necessary legal authority to investigate a nursing home.

"I will look at each death which is referred to me, first on an individual basis and then collectively.

"I will make a decision based on the evidence which is available."

Mr Cotter said he had asked the strategic health authority to submit its "detailed concerns" to him and the evidence on which they are based.

They and the Health Care Commission, would have the authority to bring about a public inquiry.

'Bruises on face'

Once all the information was available, he would then decide whether there were grounds to hold an inquest into one or more of the deaths.

Difficulties investigating the deaths included the time-scale involved, the fact that they were not reported to him at the time, and if there was no post-mortem examination and the body was cremated, Mr Cotter said.

He added that other potential problems were if the owners and staff at the home refused to answer any questions either at or before the inquest if they thought a prosecution may result.

Residents could be hard to trace and because of their age, may not want to give evidence in court or not be able to remember what happened.

The inspection by the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) found a "significant" number of incidents which went unreported at the home including a cigarette burn to the chest of one patient and bruises on the face of another.