Gosport care home is '˜committed' to improving after critical CQC report

Northcott House in Gosport received an '˜inadequate' rating from the Care Quality Commission back in November 2017, criticising the care home for tiny meals for residents, a lack of staff and gaps in the staff's knowledge.

For a failure to notify the CQC of '˜significant incidents' a fixed penalty notice was issued, with care home owners Contemplation Homes Limited paying a fine of £1,250.

But after appearing on a list of Britain's 14 worst care homes, owners and visitors have refuted the label, saying that life at the care home has improved dramatically.

Mary Seager, 66 from Gosport, visits Northcott House to see her 90-year-old aunt, Jean.

She said: '˜My aunt has been there about five weeks and I see her once a week '“ but I don't think the report was fair.

'˜The staff there are lovely. They always speak to me and my aunt '“ in fact, last time I went the person with the drugs trolley was laughing and giggling with my aunt like there was no tomorrow.

'˜It's a very clean care home and the food is just amazing, they get lots of options to choose from and it feels more like going to a hotel than a care home.

'˜She's still settling in but she seems really happy there '“ I only have positive things to say about the home.'

A spokesman for Northcott House says that major improvements have been made since the inspection.

He said: '˜Following the recommendations from the CQC in September 2017, we took immediate action to address the concerns raised by the inspectors at the time, working closely with the CQC and Hampshire County Council to immediately improve care standards.

'˜Changes made at the home included appointing a new registered manager and deputy manager;  providing additional training for staff members where required; and providing senior management support from our head office on a daily basis.

'˜These changes have now been completed and the CQC recently visited Northcott House to undertake a routine inspection. We are confident the CQC's latest report, which will be published shortly, will show substantial improvements in our rating.'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'‹'