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Negligence legal claims investigated following deaths of residents at St Luke’s care home in Runcorn

Families whose loved ones died at St Luke’s care home in Runcorn have instructed lawyers to investigate claims of negligence.

Posted on 10 July 2024

A team at law firm Leigh Day is looking into the deaths of four elderly people aged between 78 and 81 after they died following incidents of alleged seriously poor care at the care home in late 2022 and early 2023. 

The deaths followed issues around falls prevention and aftercare and failures around risk assessments and the implementation of care plans. The families believe their loved ones' deaths were avoidable.

Leigh Day solicitor Emma Jones, who has been instructed by the families, believes they may have grounds for legal claims against St Luke’s. 

Following an inspection in August 2023, the home in Palacefields Avenue, Runcorn in Cheshire is rated ‘requires improvement’ because of its performance under the headings ‘safe’ and ‘well-led’. It is rated ‘good’ for ‘effective’, ‘caring’ and ‘responsive’.  

Kylie Gobin’s mother, Winifred, died in December 2022 from COVID after suffering more than 32 serious falls while at St Luke’s.  

Lynsey Carr’s dad Raymond was resident at St Luke's between November 2022 and April 2023, before the family insisted that he was moved elsewhere. Raymond died in January 2024.   

The family of Victor Collinson have also instructed Leigh Day to investigate a claim after he suffered two falls immediately within two days of being admitted to St Luke's on 1 November 2022.  


Victor with his wife, Linda. 

Two other families have asked Leigh Day to investigate the deaths of their loved ones.  

Kylie and Lynsey’s parents’ stories were aired on BBC North West Tonight on Tuesday 9 July.  

Emma Jones was interviewed on BBC Radio Merseyside (listen from 2hr10m). 

Both families made complaints to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) around the standard of care their parents received at St Luke’s in Runcorn.  

Kylie Gobin said: 

“My mum suffered physical and psychological harm, which I believe could have been avoided.  

When loved ones go into a care home it’s a last resort because they need 24-hour care. 

“Alzheimer’s and dementia clients haven’t got a voice.  Social services and the Care Quality Commission are their voices to protect them from abuse and avoidable harm. Unfortunately, their voices weren’t heard, but I am determined they will be now. We can’t impact on the past but we can change the future. Changes need to happen and systems need to change to prevent and mitigate risks of serious injuries and further deaths.” 

Lynsey Carr said: 

“The pain and suffering my dad was subjected to whilst at St Luke’s was, in my view, avoidable. He was a proud man, worked hard all his life but wasn’t treated with the dignity and respect he deserved. As a family we were my dad’s voice. Some vulnerable people don’t have that and need to be looked after properly during such a terrible illness.”  

Victor Collinson’s son, Steve said:  

“Immediately prior to entering St Luke's Victor was able to walk unaided, and he was very much animated in his speech. He had only gone for two weeks of respite but within less than two weeks at St Luke's he became mute, and totally immobile.  

“The families of those who we believe were mistreated in the home gave great details of their treatment to the CQC, none of which appears to have been investigated when they did their next annual inspection, not long after being provided with that information.”

Leigh Day solicitor Emma Jones said: 

“Our clients entrusted their loves ones to the care of St Luke’s and they are extremely concerned the standard of care fell well below a reasonable standard. We are investigating claims on behalf of five families, all of whom have made complaints as a result of the falls and subsequent suffering of their family members.”  

Emma Jones represents families campaigning for a Hillsborough-style inquest into the deaths of loved ones at Gosport War Memorial Hospital between 1987 and 2001.

Emma Jones’ team also represents Care Rights UK which has core participant status at the Covid Inquiry. 

 

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