AN OXFORD nursing home left pensioners in pain without their medication, and others struggling to get out of bed.

A damning report by Care Quality Commission inspectors has found 66-resident Brookfield Christian Care Home, in Little Bury, Greater Leys, failed to meet seven out of 11 essential standards and demanded immediate action to avoid further action.

Oxfordshire County Council has 42 clients at the home.

Among the commission’s findings, inspectors said: l Staff did not identify care and support needs of each resident l Residents’ nutritional needs were not assessed or recorded l Medicine was not always dispensed when needed, or safely.

Inspectors reported one incident to the council’s safeguarding team after finding one pensioner left in agony.

They came across other residents who had not received prescribed medicine including one which was due to a typing error.

Inspectors also found the medication trolley unattended, with the keys still in the lock.

Residents also told the commission they were not always given the help when bathing or getting out of bed.

The commission will continue to monitor the home, which has a 14-day deadline to set out how safety standards will be met.

The report comes two years after the owner, Southern Cross Healthcare, was ordered to pay £200,000 after admitting health and safety breaches when great-grandmother Maisie Jones, 82, died after falling from a window in 2003.

Parent company Southern Cross, which runs five other care homes in Oxfordshire, is in financial difficulties.

In a statement, Ash Khan, area manager for Southern Cross, said changes had been made since the inspectors visited in December and January.

He said: “A new manager has been appointed and all full-time staff positions have been filled. We work closely with the Care Quality Commission and Oxfordshire County Council, along with residents and their relatives to improve and sustain care delivery at the home. We are expecting another visit this month and are confident these improvements will be confirmed.”

County council spokesman Marcus Mabberley said the council was working with Southern Cross and the Care Quality Commission to improve standards at the home.

He said: “Southern Cross installed a voluntary embargo on new council-funded admissions to Brookfield Christian Care Home earlier this year. This was done to help deal with issues that have been raised.

“Whilst we always consider the option of moving clients, this is only done as a last resort as moving people may only result in other issues for them.”