Ms Susan Cliffe:

In the last 12 months, we have not prosecuted any registered provider. Where we have situations of serious concern about the care and welfare of residents, we will go straight to the cancellation of the registration of the nursing home. If we were to issue prosecution proceedings against a provider, we would potentially be allowing the situation in the nursing home to continue while that prosecution was going through the courts. If we are so concerned about the care and welfare of the residents, then the appropriate action is to cancel the registration or to take one of the lesser regulatory actions, such as perhaps attaching a condition to stop admissions to the centre or attaching a condition to require it to have something in place in the designated centre. The most important people in the picture are the residents in the nursing homes. Our focus must always be on what is going to effect the quickest change and ensure they are safe and get the care they deserve to receive.