Will care home bosses be in the dock? Police probing nursing centre where ten residents died from coronavirus pass file to prosecutors
- Police investigating the Home Farm care home have passed file to prosecutors
- The home on the Isle of Skye, had been described as a ‘risk to life and limb’
- An investigation was launched in May when three women in their 80s died there
Police investigating claims of criminal neglect at a care home where ten residents died from coronavirus have passed their file to prosecutors.
The Home Farm facility in Portree, on the Isle of Skye, had been described as a ‘risk to life and limb’ in one official inspection report.
In May, Police Scotland confirmed it had launched an investigation into the deaths of three women in their 80s at the site.
The Home Farm facility in Portree, on the Isle of Skye, had been described as a ‘risk to life and limb’ in one official inspection report (stock image)
The case could lead to the first criminal prosecutions linked to Covid-19 deaths in Britain’s care homes.
Last night Scottish Tory health spokesman Donald Cameron: ‘What has happened in our care homes across Scotland during Covid-19 has been absolutely tragic.
‘Full investigations must be carried out at once and should be started up as a matter of urgency by the SNP.
‘With cases appearing to be increasing in some care homes, we simply cannot put residents at risk again, given that so many families have already lost loved ones in care homes during this pandemic.
‘The SNP must be fully transparent about exactly what went wrong in our care homes, and why, as part of any inquiry.’
Last night Scottish Tory health spokesman Donald Cameron(pictured) said: ‘What has happened in our care homes across Scotland during Covid-19 has been absolutely tragic’
A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘The multi-agency large scale investigation into standards of care is ongoing and Police Scotland will continue to assess information provided to us through that process and to investigate any possible criminal neglect.
‘However, we can confirm that information gathered during our enquiries into the deaths at Home Farm, Skye, has been passed to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for their consideration.’
A Crown Office spokesman said: ‘The investigation is ongoing.’
Home Farm was run by HC-One, the biggest care home operator in the UK, which is facing potential legal action from families of residents who died with coronavirus.