Aged care commission threatens to shut down Newmarch House

The federal aged care commission says there's "an immediate and severe risk to the health, safety and wellbeing of care recipients" at Newmarch House.

Newmarch House, where 16 people died and 71 have been infected.

Newmarch House, where 16 people died and 71 have been infected. Source: AAP

The federal aged care commissioner has threatened to revoke the licence of the Sydney nursing home at the centre of a COVID-19 outbreak that's killed 16 elderly residents, arguing there's a "severe risk" at the facility.

The Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission wrote to operator Anglicare on Wednesday demanding it agrees to a number of conditions, including that it does not admit any new residents "until it can demonstrate ... that the serious risk to care recipients at the service has been effectively addressed".

Newmarch House must also agree to immediately appoint an independent adviser to ensure the safety and well-being of existing residents, follow their advice "without delay" and provide regular updates to the commission.
Flowers left outside the entrance to Anglicare's Newmarch House.
Flowers left outside the entrance to Anglicare's Newmarch House. Source: AAP
The commission said it was intervening "due to the seriousness of the outbreak of COVID-19" at the nursing home near Penrith and the deaths.

Its coronavirus task force was concerned about Anglicare's response to the outbreak and "lack of suitable processes and systems in order to control transmission of the virus".

It was also troubled by complaints from residents and their families about the lack of information provided regarding the outbreak.
"The commission has identified there is an immediate and severe risk to the health, safety and wellbeing of care recipients at the service," it said when demanding Anglicare agree to the new conditions by Thursday evening.

Aged care commissioner Janet Anderson said the commission had taken graduated regulatory action since 23 April in response to "escalating concerns".

"The commission has escalated our enforcement as a consequence of continued evidence of lack of effective infection control," she said in a statement on Wednesday.
Anglicare chief executive Grant Millard said while the outbreak at Newmarch House had proven challenging "the situation has substantially improved".

"We will continue to collaborate with key stakeholders as we work through the continuing challenges in the coming weeks," Mr Millard said in a statement on Wednesday.

People in Australia must stay at least 1.5 metres away from others. Check your state’s restrictions on gathering limits.

Testing for coronavirus is now widely available across Australia. If you are experiencing cold or flu symptoms, arrange a test by calling your doctor or contact the Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080. 

The federal government's coronavirus tracing app COVIDSafe is available for download from your phone's app store.

SBS is committed to informing Australia’s diverse communities about the latest COVID-19 developments. News and information is available in 63 languages at sbs.com.au/coronavirus.


Share
3 min read

Published



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world