A TROUBLED nursing home has been told it cannot admit new residents until serious improvements have been made, The Northern Echo can reveal.

One family has called on Hillview Nursing Home in Eston, Middlesbrough, to be closed altogether following two recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection reports resulted in warning notices being imposed on the home for breach of regulations in medicine and record management.

A multi-agency team has produced an action plan for Hillview and the CQC has said it is "closely monitoring" the home and plans a third inspection in the near future.

The problems at Hillview came to light after The Northern Echo ran a report about former resident Agnes Searle, 77, who had to be "blue lighted" by ambulance to hospital with severe dehydration, blood poisoning and raging temperature.

Her daughter, Carol Searle's complaints that concerns about her mother's health weren't properly dealt with on time were upheld by an Adult Safeguarding Investigation Report by Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council's Social Services. Agnes Searle died two months after being admitted to hospital.

Ms Searle says she has been contacted by two other families with similar complaints and the family of another resident, Peter Browne, has gone on the record to complain of his treatment.

Mr Browne's son, also called Peter, said the council's Adult Safeguarding team were called in seven times to investigate complaints, about how Mr Browne was fed, cleaned, mistakes in giving him oxygen and an unnoticed injury to Mr Browne's foot.

Ms Searle said: "I think the place should be closed down as there has been many complaints.

"Bupa has the upper hand as it is a rich company, where do we working class people stand?"

Redcar and Cleveland Council's Cabinet Member for Health and Social Wellbeing, Cllr Sheelagh Clarke, confirmed new entries to the home had been suspended, and said: “The Safeguarding Serious Concern Protocol has been initiated in relation to Hillview Nursing Home and a series of multi-agency meetings have taken place to improve the quality of care at the home.

"An action plan for improvement has been developed with the nursing home and work is ongoing.”

A spokeswoman for the CQC confirmed that the inspection body was aware of "safeguarding concerns" surrounding Mr Browne, and unrelated warning notices had been issued to the home for breach of regulations.

She said: "All partner agencies are closely monitoring the home to ensure people are not at immediate risk."

A spokesperson for Bupa said: "We’ve worked hard, with support from our specialist advisers, and have made a series of changes within the home.

"These include improvements to our care planning system, a new early warning system to identify concerns about residents’ health and holding regular meetings with residents and their families."