A CARE home in Prestwich has been rated ‘inadequate’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after inspectors found residents went without medicine or were given doses at the wrong time.

Nazareth House, which cares for up to 66 older people suffering from dementia, has been placed in 'special measures' following a damning report that found continued breaches of regulation concerning the management of people's medicines.

Inspectors visiting in April this year described how one resident did not have pain relief available to them for 10 days while another person waited 15 days for their prescribed cream because the systems for ordering medicines were not in place.

One resident was administered eyedrops for a week which were out of date, with other people given some doses of medicines at the wrong times because the nurses did not follow the manufacturers' directions carefully.

Other people were at risk of being given doses of their medicines too close together because nurses failed to record the time medicines were administered.

Records about medicines, including creams, were "not always accurate and could not clearly show they were administered safely as prescribed", wrote the inspectors.

Medicines requiring cold storage had not been stored safely with the inspectors finding the fridge temperature had been over the maximum recommended temperature for over two weeks.

Issues with safety at the home on Scholes Lane were also identified with testing connected to the building's three passenger lifts not completed.

Fire evacuation records were also described as "brief" although staff were also praised for the individual care they provided with residents' families also described as "happy" with the service provided.

The report added: "Previous recommendations made to the service to improve and embed quality monitoring systems had either not been implemented or sustained.

"This was the third consecutive inspection where we have identified shortfalls with the home's medicines and outstanding works connected to the safety of the home."

Service at the care home has now deteriorated to 'inadequate' from 'requires improvement' with the inspectors issuing two warning notices.

Overseen by the Sisters of Nazareth, the home says it "welcomes all seniors of all religious and non-religious backgrounds" and mentions how it hosted Pope John Paul II on his visit to Manchester in 1982.

A spokesperson for the Nazareth Care Charitable Trust, said: “Our first priority at Nazareth Care is to ensure the safety and welfare of our residents so we are deeply concerned by the inadequate rating given by the CQC.

"We would like to reassure our residents and their families that we recognize the seriousness of the failings identified by the CQC. Since the inspection we have already undertaken an urgent action plan to rectify these shortcomings.

"We will continue to strive to provide a safe, secure and happy home environment for all our residents."