A Bury care home looking after people with dementia remains in "special measures" after an inspection by the healthcare watchdog found abuse allegations "went unreported".

Bankfield on Gigg Lane was given the lowest possible rating of inadequate after regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), carried out an inspection of the care home in March.

The service provides accommodation and nursing care for up to 47 people aged over 65 or who are living with dementia. At the time of the inspection, the care home as overseeing 18 people.

Bankfield, run by KR Care Homes Ltd, has been rated as inadequate since 2021 after holding an overall rating of good under a previous provider.

As well as being handed an overall rating of inadequate in its latest report, three individual areas of assessment, its safety, effectiveness and leadership, were also given this score.

Two other areas, whether the service is caring and its responsiveness, were given individual ratings of requires improvement.

In its latest inspection report, which was published last month, inspectors said two allegations of abuse had not been reported to the CQC with one allegation not reported to the local authority's safeguarding team.

The report adds that the manager believed a senior member of staff had reported the allegations.

It was not specified whether the allegations related to patients or staff.

Inspectors found that people were not safe and "were at risk of avoidable harm".

The report said: "Medicines were not safely managed.

"One person was given medicine that was over a week beyond its expiry date and another person was given an incorrect dose of their blood thinning medicine."

Inspectors also raised concerns about care given to patients who lacked the mental capacity to make decisions for themselves.

The report noted that care and treatment was not provided with the consent of the relevant person.

It added: "The manager was signing to consent to people's care and treatment without the legal authority to do so. This had been raised at previous inspections.

"There was no evidence, families and representatives who had the legal authority to act in a person's best interests were always consulted about arrangements for care and support."

Following its inspection, the CQC say the service will remain in "special measures" and that it will be kept under review.

KR Care Homes Limited has been contacted for comment.