West Yorkshire care home residents 'at risk of malnutrition', inspection finds

Newlands Hall, run by Regency Healthcare Limited, provides nursing and personal care for up to 30 people in West Yorkshire, some of whom are living with dementia.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors, after a visit in September, have now rated it inadequate overall.

Linda Hirst, CQC deputy director of operations in the north, said it was "concerning" to see poor leadership and risk management putting people at harm in a place they call home.

"People weren’t always receiving nutritionally balanced meals, and portion sizes were small with no snacks offered between meals," she said. "Several people had lost a significant amount of weight and were at risk of malnutrition."

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Leaders had failed to act on this, she added, while staff concerns over some people's unexplained bruising and cuts hadn't been followed up or investigated.

The inspection was carried out as concerns were raised initially by some family members. Inspectors also found medicines weren't always managed safely, there were gaps in some staff's references and employment history, and care planning didn't always involve people.

The did find though that people were able to access their GP when needed, and infection prevention and control procedures were clear.

“It was positive that there were enough staff to support people, and when we visited an activity coordinator was chatting with people and doing a quiz in the lounge to support people’s wellbeing," added Ms Hirst.

“We have told leaders where we expect to see rapid, and continued improvements and will continue to monitor the home closely to keep people safe during this time."

The care home is run by Regency Healthcare Limited, which can appeal regulatory action. The areas of caring and effective weren’t inspected so retain a previous rating of good.