A recent study by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) has revealed that 23% of care homes, nursing homes and home care services require immediate improvement on safety, with a further 2% not meeting sufficient safety regulations.

Regulators observed residents not getting enough time to eat and drink, and not being helped to the toilet quickly and efficiently.

Andrea Sutcliffe, chief inspector of adult social care at the CQC said: “From a safety perspective, it may be: ‘Are there enough staff available to provide the care people need in their own homes?’

“If there is not, it may mean people have missed calls, people may be late to be supported to go to the toilet, to have the food and medication they need. These are things you do not want to be happening to your loved one or mum.

“If you’re in a residential or nursing home, it may be that there are not enough checks and balances in place to ensure people are getting the right medication and the right support to eat and to drink.”

Inspectors also highlighted insufficient staff training and thorough checks on staff.

Health Minister Jackie Doyle-Price said: “It is completely unacceptable that standards in some settings are below those rightly expected by care users and their families.

“That’s why we have introduced tougher inspections of care services, provided an additional £2 billion to the sector, and later this year we will be consulting on the future of social care in this country to put it on a stable footing for the future.”