A nursing home for people with dementia criticised by inspectors for not dealing properly with reports of abuse has vowed to improve.

Queens Court Nursing Home, in Lower Queens Road, Buckhurst Hill, was visited by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in January.

The inspectors' report, released this month, highlighted a number of failings.

Two allegations of abuse were found to have not being handled properly, but the report does not reveal the outcome of any investigations.

Inspectors noted that some residents' distress alarms were not responded to, sometimes for as long as three hours.

Of the 89 staff, only three were found to have had training to deal with pressure sores.

Nigel Denny, spokesperson for Ranc Care Homes, which owns the home, said the company was disappointed with the CQC findings.

But he has promised the home, which provides care for up to 90 people with dementia will improve care standards.

He said: “Since the visit of the CQC, Ranc Care Homes has worked diligently to rectify the minor and moderate concerns noted during their visit.

"The management team have been working closely with the CQC and implemented an Action Plan which directly addresses all concerns raised.

"At Ranc we take quality standards and compliance very seriously and aspire to create an environment which consistently delivers care which exceeds the standards required by the regulatory authorities.

"We are disappointed that on this occasion we were judged to have fallen short of these exacting requirements in some areas. We have great confidence in the manager and team in our care home and together are committed to delivering the highest standards in quality in the future. “