A CARE regulator has warned a nursing home to make urgent improvements in care standards or face sanctions.

The Care Quality Commission yesterday issued a formal warning to the Orders of St John Care Trust after an unannounced visit by inspectors to Ridgeway House, in Wootton Bassett, last month.

But the charitable trust, which runs 20 homes in Wiltshire, has countered the findings and said it would make a complaint to the regulator.

The inspection followed a review in January and in the latest visit inspectors found Ridgeway House, which looks after the elderly and those with dementia, was failing to plan and deliver effective care for people who live at the home.

Ian Biggs, regional director of CQC in the South West, said: “The law says that these are the standards that everyone should be able to expect. Providers have a duty to ensure they are compliant.

“Ridgeway House has not been following all the relevant guidance about meeting people’s care and treatment and this has meant that frail people could be put at risk.

“This warning sends a clear and public message that the Orders of St John Care Trust needs to address this issue as a matter of urgency or face serious consequences.

“Our inspectors will return to Ridgeway House in the near future and if we find that it is not making the required progress we won’t hesitate to use our legal powers to protect the people who live there.”

A spokeswoman for the Orders of St John Care Trust said they wouldnow be making a counter-complaint to the commission about the lack of balance in the findings.

She said: “We are extremely disappointed that Ian Biggs has decided to issue a Warning Notice regarding Ridgeway House, despite strong representations made by the Orders of St John Care Trust concerning some fundamental errors and a lack of balance in his Inspector’s report.

“Ridgeway House has a justified reputation in the local community for delivering high quality care and has a dedicated and loyal staff group, who are committed to the well-being of all the home’s residents.

“We recognise that the Care Quality Commission has an important and difficult job as the lead regulator for health and social care. However, our shared objective of continuously improving standards of care will not be furthered unless the Care Quality Commission abides by its own guidelines on Warning Notices by acting proportionately, consistently and with a focus on the actual outcomes for people using the service.

“We shall, therefore, be making a formal complaint to the Care Quality Commission regarding its handling of this matter.”

The full report is expected to be released next month and will detail the failings that the Commission found.

The previous review is available on the CQC’s website www.cqc.org.uk.