A HEREFORD care home is working to improve after an unannounced Care Quality Commission inspection found breaches of regulations among a raft of issues.

Inspectors carrying out the unannounced inspection at Broomy Hill Nursing Home, which took place on September 13 and 14, said improvements were required to the home's safety and effectiveness, and rated it inadequate in the well-led category.

The inspection was carried out after a previous inspection in April found breaches of legal requirements, and after concerns were received in relation to safety, staffing, and governance.

The report said the home, which cares for up to 40 people aged 65 and over, had previously failed to safely administer medicines and to robustly assess the risks relating to health, safety, and welfare, in breach of regulations.

Not enough improvement had been made at this inspection and the provider was still in breach, with medicines not always given at their prescribed times, and no records to confirm pain medication patches had been checked.

Other issues highlighted by the report included the storage of combustible materials, while residents at risk of poor skin health were not consistently supported to reduce risk.

There were sufficient staff to assist promptly in an emergency, but some people experienced extended waits at busy times, inspectors said.

Systems were either not in place or robust enough to demonstrate safety was effectively managed, concerns promptly identified and risk to people swiftly mitigated, in a continued breach of regulations.

The home confirmed all the actions required to keep people safe were completed following the inspection.

The report said some care assessments did not always identify all care needs, while practice did not consistently promote good hydration, and some staff had not had the necessary training to support residents with certain conditions, such as Parkinson's.

In April, inspectors had rated the home as requiring improvement in the well-led category, but in the latest inspection, this key question had deteriorated to inadequate, the report said, with widespread and significant shortfalls in leadership.

Inspectors said the home had failed to have effective governance systems in place to monitor the quality of the service, to identify shortfall, and to ensure compliance with regulations, a continuing breach of regulations.

They found the home had not ensured adequate oversight of care provided, known risks to people were not adequately monitored, and a medication error had not been picked up on by their systems.

There were not robust systems to ensure staff responsibilities were consistently clear, and opportunities to learn from feedback were not always promptly taken.

Inspectors said they had contacted the fire service with regards to fire management concerns and had made two safeguarding reports to Herefordshire Council.

The report said a new manager had recently been appointed at the home, while changes to the staff representing the provider were also planned.

A spokesperson for Broomy Hill Nursing Home said: “Providing safe and high quality care is the priority for all at Broomy Hill.

“Since the inspection took place in September 2021, the home has pushed forwards with a comprehensive change management programme, which includes a new home manager and new clinical lead. We have also recruited a group quality & compliance manager who is based at Broomy Hill three days a week, completing internal audits, governance checks and supporting the team to ensure that the correct practices are being followed consistently throughout the home.

“Furthermore, there is ongoing refurbishment taking place across the home, including a new garden room which opened to residents just before Christmas.  

"As well as residents and relatives, we are in close dialogue with the local authorities and CQC, and would welcome the opportunity to show them the improvements we have made and will continue to make at Broomy Hill.”