INSPECTORS found soiled beds and dirty commodes during a surprise visit to a Worcester care home.

The Care Quality Comm-ission (CQC) has issued a formal warning to the owner of Norton Hall care home in Woodbury Park, Norton, Worcester, demanding improvements in care.

The regulator published a statement yesterday following an unannounced visit on Monday, November 5, and has warned of further action if things do not improve.

During the visit inspectors found improvements were needed to cleanliness and infection control and assessing and monitoring quality.

Inspectors found the standards of cleanliness and hygiene of equipment at the home placed people using the service at risk of infection. During the inspection the CQC saw dirty commodes, bed rails on one bed that were dirty and soiled mattresses. The CQC said there were no effective systems in place to manage and monitor the prevention and control of infection or to ensure equipment used was safe and cleaned to an appropriate standard.

Concerns were highlighted following an inspection last May. The provider handed in an action plan detailing what improvements, including a number of audits, would take place. When the CQC returned, these had not happened, the report said.

Systems to assess and monitor the quality of service being delivered and to ensure people were protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care were not effective.

Andrea Gordon, deputy director of operations (regions), said: “This warning sends a clear message that the owner of Norton Hall care home needs to address these issues or face the consequences.

“Our inspectors will return in the near future and if we find the required progress is not made we won’t hesitate to use our legal powers to protect the people who use this service.”

Norton Hall provides accommodation for older people who may have a physical or dementia-related illnesses.

A spokesman for the care home said: “Norton Manor Care Ltd accepts the findings of the audit by the CQC and is disappointed our normal high standards have slipped in a couple of areas.

“Many actions were under way following the May audit and these have been accelerated in recent weeks, with further actions initiated, to ensure the home is not only compliant with all statutory regulations, but also clients receive the exceptional level of care traditionally associated with Norton Hall.”