The CQC has been accused of failing to keep residents safe after an 89-year-old man died following his stay at a Dorset nursing home.

Lyme Regis Nursing Home, which is operated by Farrington Care, was rated Good by the CQC when Bernard Chatting moved into the service six weeks after it began an inspection on 16 February 2022 having been informed of issues by the local authority on 26 January 2022.

The home’s Inadequate report was not published until 12 May 2022 after Farrington Care requested that CQC delay publication due to potential issues arising with insurance because of the rating downgrade. The request was granted to the provider by the CQC as potentially losing insurance coverage could put people at risk.

Mr Chatting’s family told The Guardian they would never have moved their father into the home if they had been aware of the risks.

His son-in-law Phil Davenport said: “It is beyond my understanding how the CQC inspect, have serious concerns, and yet not advise the public more quickly.

“We believe that the lack of care provided by the home was directly responsible for the premature end of Bernard’s life.”

Helen Wildbore, director of the Relatives & Residents Association, told Caring Times: “Transparency about care home ratings is vital to help people choose a decent home. The regulator and local authorities must work together to ensure concerns about poor care are swiftly investigated and publicised as the only reliable, independent source of information for families about which home to choose. Otherwise, people’s basic rights to safety and wellbeing will continue to be at risk.”

Kate Terroni, chief inspector of adult social care, integrated care & interim chief operating officer at CQC, said: “We inspected Lyme Regis Nursing Home in response to information of concern and as a result of what we found on this inspection, we raised issues immediately both with the provider and with the local authority. We also took enforcement action which required the provider to take action to keep people safe. We are required to follow legal processes before publishing an inspection report to ensure that our reports are proportionate and accurate – however, this does not prevent us taking urgent action to keep people safe if required.

“We want to reduce the time between when we inspect and when we’re able to publish our inspection reports so that the public can see detailed assessment of quality as soon as possible. We are therefore developing a new way of working which will enable us to use a range of information to assess providers flexibly and frequently.”

Lyme Regis Nursing Home is currently rated Requires Improvement.