Leeds care home rated '˜inadequate' for third time

Donisthorpe Hall, in Moortown, was first put into special measures by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection in June 2015.

It was still in breach of regulations when checked again in March this year and now a newly-published report has revealed serious issues remain.

Inspectors who visited this summer said there were still breaches of six regulations, including over safe care and treatment, staffing and meeting nutritional needs. There had been an improvement in one area as there was better support for staff.

Previous problems at the home, which provides residential and nursing care, included a resident not being given their medicine and another at risk of choking not given soft food. There were also concerns that there were not “enough competent staff to meet people’s needs” and a reliance on using agency workers.

The latest inspection found residents still did not always receive medication at the right times and blood testing equipment was out of date and unfit for use. Inspectors said: “Medication records were frequently inaccurate and incomplete.”

There were also issues around “continuing high level of agency staff” and one mealtime observed was “chaotic”.

Andrew Brown, chair of the home’s Board of Trustees, said: “We acknowledge that the home has been through some difficult times in recent months as reflected in the recent CQC report.”

He added that considerable effort had been put in to improving areas of concern and they were optimistic that they would be able to demonstrate that significant progress had been made.