Owner of Kent care home which saw residents die during Covid says outbreak was catalyst for closure

  • ITV News Meridian's Kit Bradshaw reports.

The owner of a care home in Folkestone has blamed soaring energy bills and the lasting impact of the pandemic for his decision to cease trading today after 45 years.

Pelham House has seen a ten-fold increase in utility costs over recent months.

It raises concerns that other independent care homes could be at risk of closure, at exactly the time that demand for such places is on the rise.

The facility came under fire during the pandemic when half of its residents died of Covid in 2020.

The home was infected with the virus when a patient returned from hospital. He'd been tested for Covid, but the result hadn't come through before he was discharged.

Nine residents died within 10 days, and the home says it was the beginning of a series of events that caused financial challenges - and it has no other choice but to shut.

Owner of Pelham House, Roger Waluube said: "We've got to a position where we just can't afford utility bills.

"They've risen from £1,000 a month on average for us to £10k.

"The pandemic had a huge impact for us and we had to put a large amount of money in to keep the home sustained.

"The increase in utility bills was the straw that broke the camel's back for us an organisation."

  • Owner of Pelham House, Roger Waluube, speaks to Kit Bradshaw.

Nadra Ahmed, Executive Chairman of the National Care Association said: "There's been no support for us, and we're not a service that can just shut down.

"It's 24-7, so even in the summer our heating is very often still on.

"So you just have to think those things through.

"The energy costs have had a great impact on providers, and will continue to do so no doubt."

Almost half the home's residents were lost in the first wave of the pandemic, when a Covid-postive patient was sent back from hospital. Credit: ITV Meridian

A spokesperson for East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust said: “Our thoughts are with all those who lost loved ones during the pandemic.

“Throughout the pandemic, East Kent Hospitals followed national guidance for hospitals.

"At this time, guidance was that patients discharged from hospital should be isolated in the care home in the same way as a COVID-positive individual would have been, pending a negative test result.

“Following discussions, the care home confirmed it would accept the patient, and he was discharged.”

A government spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with all those who lost loved ones during the pandemic.

“Throughout the pandemic, our aim has been to protect the public from the threat to life and health posed by Covid and we specifically sought to safeguard care home residents based on the best information at the time.

“We have always said there are lessons to be learnt from the pandemic and are committed to learning from the Covid inquiry’s findings.”

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