'I've had no time to grieve mum's care home death'

Relatives of six Cheshire care home residents who suffered multiple falls have welcomed a coroner's decision to open inquests into their deaths.

Kylie Gobin, whose mother Winifred Tubb had 32 falls in 11 months while living at St Luke's in Runcorn, Cheshire, told the BBC: "I don't think we've had time to grieve because we've been trying to get answers."

Opening and adjourning the inquests, Cheshire Coroner Victoria Davies said there were "care concerns" and potentially "unnatural elements" in each of the six cases.

A spokesman for Halton Borough Council, which operates St Luke's, said the local authority would "co-operate fully and assist the coroner with their inquiries."

Full inquests for Leonard Allen, 79, Patricia Clee, 81, Raymond Thomas, 67, Winifred Tubb, 78, Barbara Jeffers, 82, and Victor Collinson, 78, will take place in November 2026.

Mrs Gobin, reading a statement on behalf of all the families outside Cheshire Coroner's court, said: "The families deserve to know answers to the questions that they have been asking of the CQC and Halton Borough Council for two years.

"We can't change the past, but we can change the impact on the future of other service users and try and prevent psychological and physical harm occurring to other service users."

Mrs Gobin previously told the BBC that her mother - who had worked in the care sector before being diagnosed with dementia in 2010 - moved to St Luke's in June 2021.

She said her mother suffered repeated falls and broke her hip in October 2021.

Lawyer Emma Jones from Leigh Day, who is representing the families, said the opening of the inquests was a "crucial milestone towards justice and answers for the families".

She said: "Concerns shared by the families include inadequate falls prevention, failure to provide adequate personal care, failure to provide suitable dementia care, failures in carrying out risk assessments, poor implementation of care plans, and issues with infection prevention and control.

"It is the families' belief that the care and treatment accelerated their loved ones' decline, contributing to their deaths."

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