A Gillingham care home, which houses elderly and dementia residents, has been ordered to make urgent improvements after inspectors discovered a catalogue of shortfalls.

Grace Manor has been handed four warnings by the Care Quality Commission following an unannounced visit to the home in Grange Road.

Among concerns highlighted by the CQC were that some staff had not been trained in dementia care, infection control and fire prevention, despite this being required for their roles.

Residents were sometimes left unattended for long periods and their views were not taken into account.

The CQC was following up a previous inspection in October last year after receiving complaints made about the home where 60 elderly people live.

It stated it has now issued warning notices which require the owner to meet requirements by Tuesday. CQC said its range of powers include restricting the services a provider can offer or, in the most serious cases, suspending or cancelling a service.

But s spokesman for the CQC said today (Friday) that cancelling or suspending is "a last resort".

Regional director, Ian Biggs said: “These standards exist to protect vulnerable people, who cannot always speak up for themselves, from being put at risk.”

A spokesman for the owners, London-based Forest Health care said : “A subsequent inspection in January recognised significant improvements were being made in all areas previously identified, but determined that additional work was required at the time.

"In the two months subsequent to that inspection substantial further improvements have been made, which are not reflected in the CQC’s most recent announcement.”

The CQC has ordered that its standards must be met by Tuesday (March 20.)In the most serious cases it has the power to “suspend or cancel a service”.

It comes in the wake of a Which? report about care of the elderly in homes in England.

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