Staff at a care service for the elderly gave residents the wrong doses of medicine, a report has revealed.

Enforcement action is to be taken at Tovil Green Court supported living scheme after it was deemed to have failed to look after its pensioners safely and protect them from harm.

It follows a Care Quality Commission inspection that found out-of-date records of people's medicines and how they should be taken.

Inspectors heard from one resident, who was in constant agony after staff failed to increase their pain relief dosage in line with doctor's instructions.

Another was given an extra dose of prescribed drugs which could have led to side effects.

The Tovil Green Lane scheme, made up of 40 apartments for over-65s, was inspected on Thursday, February 20.

The visit followed a September inspection, where a warning was issued over record-keeping, including staff training and residents' care plans.

Improvements were deemed to have been made in that area, but further failings discovered in the management of medicines. Some profiles detailing residents' medication were incomplete or incorrect. Some administered daily dosages had also been wrongly completed.

Standards were met in all other areas and the report noted that residents were positive about the service.

Mikkel Togsverd, regional operations director for Housing & Care 21, said a new management team had been recruited and staff retrained.

He said: "We welcome the findings of the CQC inspection as an opportunity to improve our performance and have implemented a new system of medication management at Tovil Green.

"We are working closely with our customers; with Kent County Council and the CQC to ensure that improvements are maintained and to quickly restore their confidence in the service provided."

The CQC can issue a warning notice, restrict or suspend services, issue fines and formal cautions, cancel a provider or manager’s registration or prosecute.