A CARE home has been told to improve its management of medicines and keep personal records accurate following an inspection by a watchdog.

Andrew Smith House, in Nelson, which caters for up to 60 residents, was inspected on May 15 by the Care Quality Commission.

Inspectors were shown the clinic room, which was locked, where a cupboard was used to store medicines that needed to be returned to the pharmacy while a padlock on the cupboard door was not properly maintained.

Inspectors also saw a box of unused medication on the floor of the treatment room.

Staff told them it was for two people who had been refusing their medicines but inspectors could find no evidence that their GPs had been informed.

The medication fridge also contained eyedrops for one resident that had not been dated when they had been opened.

The CQC also said the home failed to meet standards on people's care files. Some files were kept in bedrooms and others stored in the nurses’ office. All records were stored safely but some care plans had not been reviewed for several months, the report said.

The home did meet standards regarding care and welfare of people who use services, safeguarding people who use the service from abuse, staffing and assessing and monitoring the quality of service.

Andrew Smith House is run by Stocks Hall Care Homes Ltd and the CQC told them that they have until tomorrow to send them a report setting out the action they will take to meet the standards.

Manager Val Lawson said: “This home is such a passion of mine that this report came as a complete shock.

“We were very saddened by it and have taken measures to ensure that this never happens again. We have sent our action plan to the CQC and are ready for their next visit. All of our staff are now undergoing higher level medicine management.

“This is a very happy home and there are lots of positive things going on here.”