A nursing home where 19 staff tested positive for coronavirus and which was ordered to move out residents is to be temporarily taken over by a new company.
The owners of Clifton Nursing Home in Belfast last night released a statement confirming that "our friends" at Co Down-based group, Healthcare Ireland, are to "receive management of the service", allowing the facility to remain operational.
The Irish News understands the takeover will be an "interim" measure, lasting around six weeks.
Health minister Robin Swann took the unprecedented step last Friday evening of announcing the home must "relocate" all residents due to safety concerns - a move that sparked outrage among relatives after many only learned of it through the media or were contacted a short time before the story broke.
Nine residents who contracted Covid-19 have died at Clifton.
Essex-based Runwood Homes, which operates the home and has received repeated watchdog warnings over care standards and infection control measures, last night attributed a decline in "the level of service" to coronavirus-related sickness among staff.
A spokeswoman confirmed 19 employees out of 123 had tested positive for the virus.
Runwood, which owns a string of care homes across the north and was embroiled in controversy two years ago after a "horrific catalogue of inhuman treatment" was discovered at Dunmurry Manor, recorded profits of £11.4 million last year and had an annual turnover of £141m.
Earlier this week The Irish News revealed that infrastructure minister Nichola Mallon privately alerted Mr Swann to staff concerns at Clifton Nursing Home last month in relation to PPE shortages, testing and infection control.
Ms Mallon was given written "assurances" on May 1 from a Department of Health official that the situation was under control following a 'risk assessment'.
Some Belfast health trust staff were redeployed to Clifton on April 24, the same day Ms Mallon wrote to Mr Swann.
A spokeswoman for Runwood Homes last night said: "The home, unfortunately, experienced concerning, increasing numbers of staff sickness due to the pandemic, further accentuated by external agency and Trust staff unwilling to work due to the national threat of the virus transmission rate, and therefore, the level of the service was impacted, greatly affecting the home's ability to fully function to the expected standards of the group and learnings have been made.
She added: "We are contented with this positive decision (of Healthcare Ireland) enabling the residents to remain in their current familiar living environment, with the same staff, ensuring continuity of care, which should remain a priority following the departure of our management."
Healthcare Ireland, which is based in Holywood and owns 14 care homes across the north, yesterday said it had been in talks "since the end of last week" with the department, the Belfast trust and the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) watchdog about taking over the "short-term" management of Clifton.
"This would mean the Clifton residents could stay where they are without the need to move them and this should give much-needed reassurance to both residents and their families."
The RQIA - which has faced criticism for not acting sooner after carrying out three damning inspections of the home earlier this year - said the "safety and wellbeing of every patient at Clifton Nursing Home is of paramount importance" and it will "continue to monitor this service closely" during the handover "interim" period to another management team.
