MORVERN MEETS THE EYE.....

Morvern Care Centre, 11/13 South Promenade, Thornton-Cleveleys (Photo credit @pensionerbob)

Morvern Care Centre, South Promenade, Cleveleys (Photo credit- @pensionerbob)

At the beginning of this week we were informed of a rumour that the Morvern Care Centre was trying to keep quiet the fact that staff were testing positive. We contacted the owner Raj Shah and asked:

Cleveleys News <cleveleysnews@gmail.com> (Mon 7 Sep 12:44)

We've heard reports your care home is in lockdown due to a COVID-19 infection. Can you confirm if this is correct please?

Thank you

Mr Shah replied 12 minutes later saying -

Raj Shah <raj@morverncare.co.uk> (Mon 7 Sep 12:55)

No, this is false news.

You can imagine our relief. There was something odd though - that same morning a relative of a Morvern resident had told us the Morvern were not allowing visitors because one of the staff had tested positive. In these unusual times, this alone wouldn't be a surprise - of course some staff are going to test positive. It's a good thing that staff are being tested, and a good thing that care homes follow guidelines. It's not such a good thing when care homes try to hide the facts. Fortunately, we love facts. We contacted Raj again.

Cleveleys News <cleveleysnews@gmail.com> (Mon 7 Sep 13:13)

Thanks for getting back to us. We have had reports that Morvern Care Centre was in lockdown as one of the staff had tested positive. Wanted to check before reporting on it. If you do find out today the information has some credibility, please do let us know.

Raj replied......

Raj Shah <raj@morverncare.co.uk> (Mon 7 Sep 13:18)

Hi Cleveleys News

We are not in lockdown. As said earlier, we told families not to visit as we have been saying earlier as well throughout the pandemic.

There is no lockdown.

Regards

You can imagine our relief. Again. Clearly there had just been a misunderstanding. Raj confirmed there was no lockdown. Hang on though - Raj avoided confirming whether or not a staff member had actually tested positive. And if they had not, it seemed odd they were telling families not to visit. We decided to check the facts again.

Cleveleys News <cleveleysnews@gmail.com> (Mon 7 Sep 14:20)

So just to be clear, are you telling relatives not to visit because one of your staff has tested positive? Visits to Care Homes are now allowed if the premises is "virus free".

Raj took a little longer to reply to this....

Raj Shah <raj@morverncare.co.uk> (Tues 8 Sep 16:50)

Hi Cleveleys News,

We have checked all our residents and staff last week and all were negative except one staff who did her test from home. So we have retested all staff and all residents on last saturday and are waiting for results any time today or tomorrow.

We will update you once we receive all testing result but please hold on this news as your news will make around 50 staff not to attend care home and we will be left with no or very little staff and also panic all residents and their families.

We are waiting for results as none of the staff or residents have any sort of symptoms till today and we feel that this one positive test can be false.

So kind request to hold on this news till tomorrow as we will get results for all testing and then advise you. We are not allowing families to come and visit as we have not allowed earlier as well.

Kind Regards

Raj Shah

Cleveleys News <cleveleysnews@gmail.com> (Tue 8 Sep 16:53)

So when you told us this was "False News" you were lying?

Raj Shah <raj@morverncare.co.uk> (Tues 8 Sep 16:59)

No sir,

your email was that we are in Lockdown. We are operating as normal which we have been operating since March 2020. We were not allowing families to meet directly and not allowing third party contractors without having all PPE but they are able to visit.

All Carer, doctors and third party contractors are able to visit with PPE in place. Lockdown means there is no movement from outside except the carer and no go area. We are getting all supplies as normal. having admissions as normal but just doing more precaution till the new result.

There is nothing that changes in last week and this week but just to inform families about this one staff positive as they should be aware of the situation. Once we have results, we will inform them again. therefore please hold on till tomorrow.

Cleveleys News <cleveleysnews@gmail.com> (Tue 8 Sep 17:15)

You were misleading in your reply.

If you have a positive test, the legislation does say you should tell your residents and their families.

We will be breaking this story shortly, if you would like to offer an official statement as to why you withheld the information, we will consider publishing it with the article.

Mr Frank Townend

Cleveleys News Editor

So it seems to us that a staff member did test positive, and the Morvern decided to keep it quiet, hoping that the test was wrong. Call us suspicious, but this doesn't seem the best way to deal with a pandemic. What's the point in testing staff if when a test comes back positive you deny it, carry on as normal and hope the test was a false positive?

Raj did say he would get back to us as soon as he heard if the (previously positive) test result was negative. We haven't heard yet and there is still no mention on the Morvern website or social media of any Covid infection. False news? You decide. We wish all the residents of the Morvern Care Centre nothing but the very best.

Here is the Morvern's official statement.

"We have informed all residents families about testing of one staff positive. We have retested all staff and residents and waiting for their result. None of the staff and residents have any corona virus symptoms as on today. All the residents and staff were tested last week and they were negative except one staff. Corona virus positive staff has no symptoms as of today."

UPDATE (Friday 11th September):

The Morvern confirmed today that one member of staff and one resident have now tested positive for Covid-19. They are both in isolation.

The Morvern have also confirmed that "some staff have put their resignation in."