�鶹Լ��

A specialist unit at the troubled Owen Mor care home in Londonderry has closed.

The closure of the six-bed unit is due to staffing issues, the home's management said.

The home said it was working with the Western Health and Social Care Trust to relocate residents who are affected.

Owen Mor is closed to admissions after the health regulator - the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) - obtained a court order.

The home's management said staff had worked "tirelessly" but the issues facing the home had had a "very negative effect on morale, recruitment and retention of staff".

"Regrettably the overall staff pressure facing the home means operations at the high dependency unit will cease," they added.

The Western Health Trust said it was a "difficult time" for the residents and families affected by the unit's closure.

It said it would work with them to find suitable alternative accommodation "that meets each resident's individual needs".

The RQIA said it was not in a position to comment on the closure as this is a matter for the home's management.

The Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland said he was disappointed by the closure.

The 81-bed care home is for people with learning difficulties, mental health issues and dementia.

It first came under the spotlight in May after an investigation.

Inspectors highlighted concerns about staff knowledge, including nurses not following policies and procedures, as well as inadequate records about patient safety, including falls, feeding and nutrition.

After a follow-up inspection in August, the regulator stopped new patient admissions after obtaining a court order - an unprecedented move, according to the RQIA.