A care home has been told to improve staffing levels after a health watchdog raised concerns over patient safety.

Larchwood Care Home in Broad Road, Braintree, was inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on July 17 after anonymous reports of problems with infection control in the home.

The inspection report, published on December 9, said: “The service was not consistently safe.

“Staffing levels had not been properly assessed and monitored to ensure there were sufficient staff available at all times to meet people’s identified needs.”

However, the inspectors said residents and their relatives told them they felt the home was a safe place to live.

The CQC also praised the care given to patients by staff and said new management at the home had improved staff morale.

Overall, the service was given a Good rating.

A spokesperson for the home said: “We were delighted with the positive feedback we received, from the inspectors and the residents and relatives they interviewed.

“The report made one recommendation around changes to staffing levels at meal times and we immediately changed our rotas to respond to this feedback."

See this week's Braintree Times for the full story.