An £8.5 million nursing home which was at risk of being struck off the care register has made improvements under a new manager, inspectors have said.

Harbour House Care Home, which opened in Musselburgh two years ago,  faced final warnings from the Care Inspectorate earlier this year after complaints about staffing and services were investigated and upheld.

In a series of inspections following the complaints, concerns about residents' care saw a letter of serious concern issued in February and warnings in March that the Care Inspectorate would "make a proposal to cancel its registration" unless improvements were made.

Concerns raised included a lack of proper continence care, residents with incontinence receiving just one shower or bath a week, access to fluids for residents and people being left in their beds.

Operators of the home, Morar Living, said, at the time it was working with the Care Inspectorate on a detailed action plan for the home.

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And East Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership (ELHSCP), which has placed 19 residents in the home, said it was also working with the home to improve services.

A follow up visit by inspectors in MAay  confirmed that six requirements issued including addressing staffing levels, residents access to food and drink and continence care, had been met.

It raised the performance markers for the home from 'weak' to 'adequate' and said a reduction in agency staff use, improvements to diet requirements and continence care, and new permanent manager was making a difference.

It said: "Decent quality meals were available for people and mealtimes were well staffed.  Correct continence products were provided with good stock levels at the service.

"People were no longer receiving a shower or bath only once a week."

However, concerns were still raised about efforts to ensure residents who could get out of bed did and communal facilities which are not being used enough.

The report said: "There were plenty of communal facilities, such as main lounge and dining areas, small quiet lounges, hair salon, cinema room, a fine dining room for people to use on request and a tearoom with hot drink making
facilities for relatives to use.

"There were enclosed gardens and balconies available for people and a minibus for outings. These facilities were being underused, though there were plans in place to use more fully due to a recent change in manager.

"There were less people in bed for non-medical reasons, however, undertaking prompt morning personal care and offering encouragement for people to get up and out of bed needs to happen more regularly.

"If people are staying in bed they are unable to experience the facilities more fully."

Inspectors said they wanted to see improvements continue adding: "We need to see sustainability over a longer period of time before we can be reassured that the improvements have embedded into practice."

The care home, which opened in late 2020, is on the site of the former Quay restaurant, leisure complex and function suite in Musselburgh.