Care home nurse ‘had fears over health of elderly’

Geraldine Wood, who worked at the Elm View nursing home in Huddersfield Road, Halifax for about four months in 2011, said Holmfirth woman Faheza Simpson would make life difficult for staff if they questioned her.

Simpson, 49, of Huddersfield Road, and Philip Bentley, 65, of Woodthorpe Drive, Wakefield, the owner of Elm View, have both denied charges relating to the neglect of four elderly residents at the nursing home between December 2010 and October 2011.

Their trial, which opened at Bradford Crown Court on Monday, has heard allegations that one man and three women suffered problems with pressure sores. The home was raided by police and NHS staff in October 2011.

Mrs Wood told the court that she submitted her resignation letter after she was shouted at by Simpson in front of residents at the end of a night shift.

She said a few weeks earlier she had a face-to-face private meeting with Philip Bentley in which she raised her concerns, including the treatment of residents’ pressure sores.

Mrs Wood said Bentley told her to leave it with him, but he said: “You know what Fi’s like. I’ll have to pick my moment to raise this with her.”

“Did Mr Bentley tell whether he had ever raised it?” asked prosecutor Nicholas Askins.

“No,” said Mrs Wood.

Mrs Wood said after the altercation with Simpson she felt she couldn’t work at the home any more and tendered her resignation.

During cross-examination by Simpson’s barrister, Michelle Colborne QC ,Mrs Wood rejected the suggestion that she had wanted to take over Simpson’s job at the home and had been undermining her position.

“The main issue between you and Faheza Simpson was that she criticised you for not actually carrying out the tasks that she instructed you to carry out – isn’t that right?’’ suggested Miss Colborne.

But Mrs Wood said that was incorrect and she had been professional in doing her work.

During questioning by Bentley’s barrister, Sam Green, Mrs Wood confirmed that the meeting with his client in August 2011 was the first time she had raised any of her concerns with him.

“So the first time you raised concerns with Philip Bentley was after you had been working at Elm View for three months?” said Mr Green.

“Yes because it was protocol to raise it with the manager first,” replied Mrs Wood.

She said she had raised her concerns in records at the home and the evidence was there when it was inspected.

The trial continues.