Care Quality Commission to publish rights guidance after care homes ban relatives from visiting

Rights guidance is to be published by the Care Quality Commission following the revelation that hundreds of care homes are banning visitors who complain about the quality of care.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) which monitors, inspects and regulates health and social care services has said that it will publish guidelines to clarify visitors’ rights and outline its expectations of care homes, particularly with regard to visiting and voicing concerns.

Andrea Sutcliffe, chief inspector of adult social care at CQC, said: “Later this week we will be publishing information to clarify people's rights and our expectations of providers, so that people living in care homes, their family and friends can be more confident that their concerns will be listened to and acted upon by providers responsible for delivering safe, compassionate and high quality care.”

This comes after a number of care homes across the country were found to have evicted and banned visitors after they complained about the quality of care their loved ones were receiving.

The BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme learned that a Somerset care home prevented a man from visiting his 93-year-old father while a home in Essex evicted the children of a resident after they made a complaint about the way their mother was being cared for.

Both homes claim to have investigated the issues raised by their residents’ relatives.

Professor Martin Green from Care England told the BBC that it would be “useful” if CQC could keep track of such incidents, and added: “There may be times residents' conditions change and that nursing home isn't the appropriate place to give that person the right care.”