A HAMPSHIRE care home was given a formal warning after inspectors found that the call bell system was faulty.

Staff from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) visited West Cliff Hall in Hythe and ruled that residents were in danger of not receiving the necessary care and support.

Balcombe Care Homes, which runs the establishment, was issued with a warning notice and told to make urgent improvements.

A Balcombe spokesman has told the Daily Echo that the problem has been fixed.

The CQC, which regulates the care home industry, made an unannounced visit to West Cliff Hall in December.

A CQC spokesman said: “We found that the home was failing to protect people living with them from the risk associated with unsafe equipment. The call bell system in the home was not working properly, despite previous attempts to fix it. This put people at risk of not receiving care and support when they requested it.”

Ian Biggs, the CQC’s deputy director in the south, said inspectors will return in the near future to carry out another unannounced inspection.

The equipment has already been repaired and is now fully operational, according to a statement on Balcombe’s website.

It says: “Balcombe Care Homes was issued with a formal warning because on the day of the inspection the call bell system was not operating properly.

“All necessary measures were put in place to safeguard residents from potential harm.”