Out-of-date food and ‘inadequate’ cleaning: new care home gets 1/5 hygiene rating
Out-of-date food, ‘inadequate’ cleaning and other alarming issues were found at a care home that scored 1/5 in a food hygiene inspection.
Hampstead Court Care Home was told that ‘major improvement’ was necessary by the environmental health team at Camden Council after a visit on December 20, 2022.
Management of food safety caused the most concern as it was rated as needing ‘major improvement’.
The home’s hygienic food handling was rated ‘improvement necessary’ and the cleanliness and condition of facilities was found to be ‘generally satisfactory’.
In a full report seen by the Ham&High, inspectors found that raw meat was stored above bags of ice in the freezer, which could lead to cross contamination.
These fears were worsened as it was found that the method for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces was ‘inadequate’.
During the visit, there were three items that were three to five days past their use-by dates found in the fridge.
The care home was requested to “ensure staff are trained and supervised” after various red flags appeared in the management of food safety.
Hampstead Court Care Home, on Boundary Road in St John’s Wood, was built last year and registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) on November 11.
At the moment the health watchdog has not inspected the service and it does not have a CQC rating.
Avery Healthcare Limited, which runs the care home, has not responded to a request for comment.
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