Poole care home warned after inspectors criticise medication management (From Bournemouth Echo)

Poole care home warned after inspectors criticise medication management

3:00pm Tuesday 8th January 2013 in News By Joanna Codd

WARNED: The Shores Care Home, Brixey Road, Parkstone

THE operator of a care home that looks after people with learning disabilities has been formally warned that it must improve the way it manages their medication.

Inspectors from the Care Quality commission made an unannounced visit to The Shores in Poole on November 12 last year after concerns had been raised.

They found that people were not protected against the risks associated with medicines and that illegibly labelled and out of date medication had been left in people’s medicine cabinets.

Plans were not in place for all medicines to be given as and when needed, and the plans that were in place did not give clear instructions to staff.

Medicines were also being taken out of their original packet and placed in another container before being administered, so staff could not be sure what they were giving out.

The inspectors found prescribed emergency medication for epilepsy that staff had not been trained to administer. There was no plan for its use.

The CQC, which operates as the health and social care watchdog, said not all the staff had received training in administering medication.

The home, in Brixey Road, Parkstone, is run by Harbour Care UK and registered to take up to seven adults. At the time of the inspection, it had five residents.

Ian Biggs, deputy director of CQC in the South said: “The law says that these are the standards that everyone should be able to expect.

“Providers have a duty to ensure they are compliant and this cannot be allowed to continue. “We will return in the near future and if we find that this home is not making the required progress we won’t hesitate to use our legal powers to protect the people who use the service.”

A spokesperson for the home said the matters complained of had been put right straight away and they would welcome inspectors back to The Shores.

“Immediately we received the feedback from the inspection all the matters highlighted were addressed.

“We are confident that our remedial action will satisfy the CQC. We were also pleased to note the many positive comments from the inspector and our residents.”