SO several of our care homes aren’t up to scratch, according to the Care Quality Commission.

Two were found inadequate and two were told to improve quick sharp.

Failings included a lack of staff, poor safety and drugs handling and unsafe patient handling techniques.

In short, not what you’d want for yourself or for a loved one.

Of course, this problem is not unique to Swindon – it is one which rears its ugly head across the land and raises the question of how we are to cope with our increasingly aged population.

Interestingly, the CQC inspectors noted largely that the staff at the establishments in question were polite and caring and respected residents’ dignity.

So why are these homes failing if they’re staffed by decent people who care about their patients?

One care worker may well have hit the nail on the head, telling inspectors: “I love it here and I love my job but if we had just one more member of staff on duty, it would make such a difference.”

I may be way off target here, but it seems to me that in all walks of life, the economic crash of 2008 and the ensuing recession rapidly became a handy excuse for the powers that be to cut, cut, cut - and consequences be damned.

Even now, with the economy in recovery (although Brexit has made it look somewhat precarious again), companies and establishments of all sizes across all sectors have been subject to the Grim Reaper when it comes to staffing levels.

The recession meant we were all scared of losing our jobs so we put up with years of no pay rises, watched as colleagues were made redundant, did their jobs as well as our own for no extra money and everyone felt so exhausted and vulnerable that no one complained.

That’s bad enough if you work down a chip shop but if your job is one in which you are responsible for people’s safety and wellbeing, you should not be pushed to a limit at which you may actually be unsafe to do your job.

This week’s inspection report notes an incident in which one resident waited 11 hours for pain relief – because a nurse had mistakenly given the medication to someone else.

Imagine if either of these residents was your family member. And imagine if you were that nurse.

Nurses study hard and train hard to become the lifesaving stalwarts of the NHS, without whom there would simply be no healthcare system in this country. Not one of them wishes to cause harm. But when someone is overworked, tired and stressed accidents happen.

A concerted effort must go into supporting these care homes and the staff and patients within them. This is one ill we must be swift to cure.

  • I CAN’T help wondering what Tony the St Bernard got up to while he was AWOL.

The enormous hound disappeared during a walk in Stratton Woods at about 2.30pm on Friday.

His heartbroken owners searched and searched to no avail... until three days later when Tony turned up in Turnpike Road, apparently on the hunt for a patch of shade in a firm’s yard.

I’d like to think Tony enjoyed the Disney treatment while he was out and about. You know, bluebirds gathering up piles of leaves for him to rest his weary head on, rabbits snuggling into his fur to keep him warm overnight - that sort of thing.

But if Tony’s like any other dog I know, it’s more likely he avoided the stress of the situation by going to sleep, waking only to eat something repulsive to the human eye and quenching his thirst from puddles.

If only Tony could talk and tell us what he got up to during his absence. But whatever he had to put up with for three days, you can bet he’s glad to be back home and enjoying his creature comforts. Glad you made it home safely, Tony.

  • A MINOR miracle has occurred. I mentioned last week that Swindon Borough Council had gone into denial about my house, claiming it did not exist and therefore I could not have a visitors’ parking permit.

However, over the course of the past few days, there has been a change of heart, resulting in the council getting in touch – and I am now happily awaiting my permits.

Having had a Good Old Moan last week, I thought it was only fair to give a Big Cheer this week and say thanks to the good folk at Swindon Council’s parking department, especially Paula, who was as bemused as I was that my entire block had disappeared from the authority’s records.