A CARE home which had to be temporarily closed last year amid serious concerns about health and safety has come under fire again from health chiefs.

Watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) found the use and management of medicines at the Ladymead Nursing and Residential Home in Heaton to be “unsafe” at an unannounced inspection on January 22.

The CQC raised concerns about the care home after previous inspections in June and October last year.

The report documents how six residents had run out of their prescribed medicines and that not all medicines were administered safely or at the correct time.

One resident was prescribed a pain relief patch to be changed every 72 hours, but it was applied late six times, sometimes leaving the person waiting for up to 40 hours for a new patch.

The CQC inspector said: “We found one person had been given double their prescribed dose of medicine and two people were only given half the dose of their prescribed medication.

"No explanation was recorded as to why the prescribers’ directions had not been followed.

“If medicines are not given as prescribed, people’s health may be at risk of harm.”

Ladymead is described on its website as a “family-run” residential home with a capacity for 27 people.

However, it was temporarily shut down in January last year after serious concerns about health and safety.

While the home is privately run, Bolton Council and the NHS Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) fund some of the residents at Ladymead.

Care home bosses say they are committed to improving standards.

A spokesman for Ladymead said: “After the CQC inspection, the management reviewed the policies and procedures and, as a result, put a number of arrangements in place to improve medication care standards.

“The management and all staff at Ladymead Nursing Home are absolutely committed to continue working hard to improve standards of care of our elderly residents.

“The welfare and safety of our elderly residents is and always will be of paramount importance to us.”

Dr Stephen Liversedge, clinical director for primary care at Bolton CCG, added: “The provision of safe, quality care is a priority for NHS Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group.

“We are working jointly with the council to closely monitor Ladymead Nursing Home and ensure the safety of its residents.

“We welcome the inspection and report by the Care Quality Commission, which will help to drive up standards at the home.”

A spokesman for Bolton Council said: “We are aware of the CQC findings and have been working with the home regarding these issues, to ensure residents are supported appropriately.”

Last year Ladymead was closed while urgent improvements were carried out after inspectors discovered a raft of problems.

They found thin bedding, curtains hanging off the rails, fraying carpets, water damage to ceilings following a “flood” and a mattress “heavily stained with brown marks”.

They discovered one woman had not had her hair washed for four months. Residents were forced to sit in their coats to keep warm due to faulty heating and rotten window frames.

A number of residents were left in their rooms because the home did not have the equipment needed to bring them down to the lounge and four residents were left in their beds, despite only two needing bed care.

The home was re-opened once improvements had been carried out.