A SOUTHAMPTON care home has been slammed for “placing people at risk of harm”.

South Haven Lodge Care Home, on Portsmouth Road, has been rated as "requires improvement" by CQC inspectors.

The home, which provides personal and nursing care for 36 people, was rated as requires improvement in two out of three categories - 'safe' and 'well led'.

The other three categories were rated as 'good'.

Inspectors found that medicines s were not always administered as prescribed, and records didn't show the most up to date dose or the length of treatment.

Professional advice was not sought when 'as required' medicines were administered on a frequent basis.

This included medicines used to manage a person's behaviour.

As well as this staff were not clear regarding the emergency evacuation process should there be a fire.

Inspectors found that there were "different views" about whether people would be evacuated or not and staff were unsure how long the fire doors would be safe for.

The plans did not include instructions on how to evacuate people where they had percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy equipment in place.

This is where people receive food and medicine through a tube directly into their stomach.

Inspectors found no evidence that anyone had been harmed, but systems were either not in place or robust enough to demonstrate safety was effectively managed.

"This placed people at risk of harm," they said.

A spokesperson for South Haven Lodge care home said: “The safety and wellbeing of residents is our top priority.

"We are disappointed that, on this occasion, we were found to have fallen short of the high standards we pride ourselves on, and that residents deserve and expect.

“We are grateful to the CQC for highlighting some concerns in relation to the management of medicines, which we have immediately sought to rectify.

"A detailed improvement plan is now in place, which includes refresher training for the staff team, and which is being overseen by senior management. We are confident that upon the next inspection, the issues raised will be resolved”.