SENIOR management at a retirement village in Witney have been accused of ‘hiding Covid-19 infections from staff and families’.

A source, who did not wish to be named, contacted this paper to claim managers at Bupa's Richmond Village care home ‘decided to not notify the staff or families’ of confirmed cases of coronavirus.

The source added that they were aware of three deaths in the space of 24 hours at the care home, however residents were ‘still free to roam the building rather than be told to isolate themselves’.

Bupa says that only one death has been confirmed after a with Covid-19 infection.

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The source continued: “I think they could have locked down earlier and not allowed infected residents back from the hospital and to roam around free.

“The whole situation could have been avoided.

“Carers on the care floor of our village, which is also a dementia floor as well, were told that they do not need to wear PPE or full gowns to go into residents’ rooms.”

The source added that PPE now made available to staff is just gloves and masks.

However, a spokesperson for Bupa refuted the claims, saying that the first case of coronavirus at the village was reported on Sunday, April 5, and the news was shared with residents and relatives by letter the following day.

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They also said that colleagues attended a face-to-face briefing on the same day.

With regards to PPE, the spokesperson said that all villages are following strict guidance from Public Health England (PHE).

Bupa receives daily updates to review PPE guidance and says the Witney retirement village has has sufficient supplies of PPE in line with PHE throughout the pandemic.

If the village feels it is running short, the spokesperson said that there is a ‘clear process to follow with teams on hand seven days a week to support with securing additional supplies’.

Furthermore, the spokesperson said that residents are being asked to follow social distancing rules, in line with national authority guidance, with many choosing to stay inside.

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However they also said that, because many at the village live independently, they will be able to follow the advice given to the general public.

Bev Ingram, regional operations manager for Richmond Witney, said: “The wellbeing of our residents and staff comes first, and we’re doing everything we can to keep people safe.

“This includes following strict advice from Public Health England and ensuring that everyone has all the personal protective equipment they need.

“Very sadly we have seen one resident pass away with a confirmed case of Covid-19. Our thoughts are with their family during this very sad time.

“While this has been a challenging time, our teams are committed to delivering the best possible care.

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“I’d like to thank our residents and their families for their ongoing support.

“Not only is it greatly appreciated by the team, it’s helping keep people safe.”

In its most recent report on Richmond Village on January 5 of last year, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) rated the care home ‘good’, but said its leadership 'required improvement'.

The care home was in a brief period under temporary management and the report said it was ‘not always well-led’ and ‘inconsistencies in leadership affected improvement of the home’.

A Bupa spokesperson confirmed that this had been addressed and, since the inspection in December 2018, new management had been brought in at the care home.

In addition to its care homes, healthcare specialist Bupa provides pay as you go healthcare, dental care and health insurance.

Although it originated in the UK, the private healthcare company now works across the globe.