Suffolk County Council suspends Care UK admissions

The Care Quality Commission criticised standards at Mildenhall Lodge

Admissions at two care homes in Suffolk have been suspended due to concerns about the standard of care.

Suffolk County Council said it had stopped people moving to Mildenhall Lodge and Asterbury Place and would meet with operator Care UK on Tuesday.

The firm took over its 16 care homes in December 2012 and is in the process of building 10 purpose-built replacements.

It said it was "absolutely committed to delivering a good standard of care" in all of its homes.

Mildenhall Lodge was last month found to be below standard in four of five categories during a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection.

Last week, a safeguarding inspection raised concerns about Asterbury Place.

The two care homes are among the first of Care UK's new buildings, with Davers Court, Bury St Edmunds, and Mills Meadow, Framlingham, also open.

Andrew Knight, Care UK's managing director for residential care, said: "We apologise that some aspects of the care we provide has fallen short for some residents in the early weeks of the operation of new homes.

"However, I would like to stress that the CQC has inspected 12 of the 14 homes that we run in Suffolk and they have found 11 of them to be fully compliant. The other two are awaiting inspection."