A SOUTHAMPTON care home where medicine was not stocked correctly has been slammed for putting people "at risk".

South Haven Lodge Care Home in Woolston was rated 'requires improvement' by the CQC.

Inspectors found that some aspects of the service were "not always safe" and there was a "risk" that people could be harmed.

Last year, the Portsmouth Road home was rated 'inadequate' in January after inspectors found that staff failed to report "red skin marks and burns".

READ MORE: Care home slammed in scathing report over serious safety concerns

Care home bosses have said they are "disappointed" with the result, adding that they have been "endeavouring to make steady improvement".

The home was reinspected Between December and January, and the findings were published on February 13.

At the time of the inspection, the home was caring for 30 people who were elderly or living with dementia.

Inspectors found that medication records did not match the medicine stocks held in the home.

Records seen by inspectors showed that one person should have had 168 tablets in stock but only 45 were counted by the nurse.

Another person's records showed they should have 206 tablets but 91 tablets were found.

This meant the provider could not account for each person's medicine stocks.

READ MORE: Pub gets green light to create new function room for events and parties

Inspectors noted that people did not always have protocols in place for medicines prescribed as 'when needed' (PRN) for severe pain relief or anxiety.

The care home claims that the service will "soon be moving to a new system" that will address this issue.

Records showed people were not consistently supported to reposition, often waiting "one or two hours" longer than the scheduled time.

Sometimes, people were not supported to reposition for longer which meant their skin "may be at risk of injury".

Staff told inspectors there had been issues with staffing levels, but said the situation had recently improved.

The report states that the provider was "not clear about issues of consent and privacy" regarding people's photographs being uploaded to social media.

However, the home claims that they "immediately removed particular posts" and have "tightened" their processes around consent for sharing photos.

During the last inspection, the manager told inspectors that they were planning on holding 'residents meetings'. 

In the recent inspection, inspectors found that there had not been any meetings.

Laura Rushton, head of quality and governance at South Haven Lodge Care Home, said: “We are of course disappointed in the results of the CQC report, but we fully acknowledge the findings, and take all concerns raised with the utmost seriousness. The Home retains its ‘Good’ accreditations for the Caring, Effective and Responsive CQC categories.

"We have been endeavouring to make steady improvement at the home since it was put under new management 12 months ago. 

"Plus, we have regular audits and inspections from external stakeholders to support progress made up to now.

"We are heartened that inspectors acknowledged that residents and their families were positive about the home, the staff and improvements being made.

"Our residents are at the heart of everything we do at South Haven Lodge Care Home and, while working in close partnership with the CQC, we have the utmost confidence CQC will, on their return, see these continued improvements."