A CARE home for dementia patients has been ordered to make immediate improvements after inspectors found residents living in shocking conditions.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the Government's health and social care regulator, has issued a formal warning to New Century Care that it must overhaul its standards of care at Beechwood Care Home, in Romanby Road, Northallerton, or face "serious consequences".

The enforcement action follows an unannounced visit by inspectors last month to check that changes had been implemented at the 60-bed home, six months after the CQC identified "major concerns".

Inspectors noted numerous concerns over residents on the first floor, including failures to maintain their dignity or give them an opportunity to take part in any meaningful or recreational activities.

They found staff were not delivering appropriate care and the poor practices of some staff meant first floor residents were not protected against the risks of inappropriate or unsafe care or treatment.

The CQC report states residents on the first floor may not have received adequate nutrition and drink, and highlighted the case of one resident, whose care plan included the need for staff to offer encouragement with meals, being left unsupported after being served food.

It states there were numerous cleanliness and hygiene failures, such as dirty sheets and offensive smells in bedrooms.

Inspectors said the management did not always follow correct fire safety procedures and staff were insufficiently trained and did not ensure the home's care equipment was safe.

Safety concerns were raised during the inspection after a corridor door was found to be locked, meaning residents would have been unable to summon help.

The report states: "In the lounge area one person was sliding out of their chair, and another was calling for help at the dining table and sounded distressed, but there were no staff available to assist.

"We were only able to find one member of staff, who had to return to the lounge with a patient in a wheelchair to ensure people's safety."

However, the inspectors found the recording and documentation of care had improved since the autumn and residents' confidentiality was being maintained.

Jo Dent, regional director of CQC, said the warning had sent New Century Care "a clear and public message that it needs to address this issue as a matter of urgency" and an inspection on March 3 had found improvements had been made.

She said: "We need to ensure that people living at this home are not at any immediate risk of harm, which is why we have been working closely with North Yorkshire County Council adult social care service to ensure the safety of all residents.

"We will inspect again in the near future and if we find that the provider is not making the required progress we won't hesitate to use our legal powers to protect the people who live there."

Before a meeting with relatives of residents on Wednesday to explain the New Century Care's action plan, Jenny French, the firm's operations director, issued an apology to relatives of residents "for any distress or anxiety this may have caused" and said a new acting manager had been appointed.

She said: "Many changes have already been achieved over the last three weeks which have further improved service delivery.

"Thorough investigations are also being carried out to identify the causes of this completely unacceptable situation in order to ensure that such failures cannot occur in the future."

To read various recent CQC reports about the care home, visit cqc.org.uk/directory/1-141351233.