'Visibly dirty' and a 'strong smell of urine': Telford care home placed in special measures

St Georges Park in Telford has been given six months by the Care Quality Commission to get back up to scratch – or face possible closure.

The home, in School Street, St Georges, is managed by Rotherwood Healthcare and the results of an inspection at the end of October have been made public this week.

Inspectors ruled there were not enough staff members to support residents effectively, with one visitor telling them their relative "had been waiting to be taken to the toilet for three hours".

The report said many rooms had not been cleaned for more than a month and were "visibly dirty" in places, with a "strong smell of urine" around the home.

Inspectors said some staff when questioned were unable to tell them the names of residents in the home, or what rooms they were in.

There was a high turnover of staff, with a lot of agency staff used who "had very little time" to talk to residents or their visitors, the report said.

It added: "One person told us 'sometimes I get up at 6am and ask for a shower and I am told it's not your turn go back to bed'."

The report concludes: "The overall rating for this service is 'inadequate' and the service is therefore in 'special measures'.

"Services in special measures will be kept under review and, if we have not taken immediate action to propose to cancel the provider's registration of the service, will be inspected again within six months.

"If not enough improvement is made within this timeframe....we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating this service."

A statement issued by Rotherwood Healthcare said the firm wished to apologise for "all problems" in the home.

It has appointed a specialist company, Fennell Solutions, to come in and assist with the improvements, with the firm's boss Fred Fennell becoming general manager of the home to oversee the turnaround.

The statement added: "We want to assure everyone that far from moving the home on and selling it or closing it down, we are fully committed to turning it around to make St Georges Park the home it should always have been.

"It is a difficult time and there is a lot to do but with the support of the authorities we are determined to achieve this as quickly as possible.

"A new family and residents group is being set up as a separate entity that will work with the home to help achieve the results we all want and we are thankful for this."