Out-of-date food, 'inadequate' cleaning and other alarming issues were found at a care home that scored 1/5 in a food hygiene inspection.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 was the main issue as it was rated as needing 'major improvement'.

However, Avery Healthcare, which runs the care home, said it responded immediately to the problems by addressing the issues and assures it has since been resolved.

In December, 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 at the time 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.

A spokesperson for Avery Healthcare says that after resolving the issues, a revisit was requested and took place this month.

Avery Healthcare said: "A further unannounced visit will take place imminently and the new published rating will be updated accordingly."

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