"Significant strengths" noted at previously under-fire Prestwick care home where 22 died from covid

An Ayrshire nursing home where 22 people died during a Covid-19 outbreak at the height of the pandemic has made considerable improvements to its care provision.In 2021, Ayrshire Live told how Berelands House care home, in Prestwick’s Boydfield Avenue, was ordered to make improvements following a damning report from the Care Inspectorate.At the time, the care home was deemed as having “significant weaknesses” in the way staff combatted the threat of another Covid-19 outbreak.And those weaknesses “substantially increased” residents’ risk of infection.The scrutiny body discovered a number of faults during an unannounced inspection, including the cleaning of surfaces and equipment, which “did not adhere” to mandatory guidance and were not chlorine-based.Another criticism was in the laundry arrangements with the Care Inspectorate noting that not all items were “laundered at the correct temperature” to “achieve disinfection”.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.And the Care Inspectorate said at the time it was “not confident” that laundry staff were aware of the national guidance.It claimed improvements were “needed” regarding the disposal of clinical waste and there was a “lack of provision” of recommended cleaning products that adhered to mandatory guidance.However, two years on and following a fresh inspection at the tail end of last month, the Care Inspectorate has