Care Quality Commission
Printable version

CQC places London care home into Special Measures

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated the Tower Bridge Care Centre in Southwark, London as Inadequate and has placed the home into special measures following an inspection in June 2015.

During the unannounced inspection, CQC found the provider was failing to provide care which was safe, effective, caring, well-led and responsive to people’s needs. Placement into special measures means that the Tower Bridge Care Centre must now make necessary improvements or face action that could result in closure.

Under CQC’s programme of inspections, all adult social care services are being given a rating to help people make informed choices about their care. Overall, the Tower Bridge Care Centre has been rated as Inadequate.

A full report from the inspection has been published on the CQC website: www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-320755780.

CQC found that resident’s nutrition and treatment needs were not being met, with many enduring long periods of time without a drink or a meal, and some not being provided with the individual care and treatment as advised by health care professionals.

Incorrect stock levels of medicines were being kept and residents on occasion did not always receive their medicines as prescribed.

Staff did not receive appropriate training or supervision, resulting in action not being taken to address staff performance concerns.

Sally Warren, CQC’s Deputy Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care said:

“It is essential that the Tower Bridge Care Centre takes action to address the concerns we identified during the last inspection. The provider has a responsibility to ensure that people living at the home receive care that is responsive to their needs and protection from the risk of harm at all times.

"When we are faced with a residential or nursing home that is failing to care for residents, our first instinct is to work with the provider to ensure that the service improves.

“We will re-inspect the home within six months to check whether sufficient improvements have been made. If sufficient improvements have not been made and there remains a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall, we will take further action which may include cancelling the registration of the service.”

For further information please contact Yetunde Akintewe, CQC Regional Engagement Manager, on 07471 020 659. For media enquiries, call the press office on 020 7448 9401during office hours. Journalists wishing to speak to the press office outside of office hours can find out how to contact the team here.

For general enquiries, please call 03000 61 61 61

Notes to editors

About the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is the independent regulator of health and social care in England.

We make sure health and social care services provide people with safe, effective, compassionate, high-quality care and we encourage care services to improve.

We monitor, inspect and regulate services to make sure they meet fundamental standards of quality and safety and we publish what we find to help people choose care.

Channel website: http://www.cqc.org.uk/

Share this article

Latest News from
Care Quality Commission