Tyne Tees care home

The daughter of an elderly resident affected by the possible closure of care homes in County Durham is appealing for councillors to leave things as they are.

Pauline Robinson says she'd fear for her ninety three year old mother's health if she was forced to move.

The council is starting a three month consultation over proposals for the future of its five remaining care homes in a bid to save money. Watch Claire Montgomery's report.

Five care homes are under review in County Durham, as the council looks at making cuts totalling £222m.

They are: Newtown House in Stanhope, Cheveley House, in Belmont; Feryemount, in Ferryhill; Grampian House, in Peterlee; and Mendip House, in Chester-le-Street.

The budget cuts are £20m more than Durham County Council originally expected.

Families of elderly residents living in County Durham care homes say they're concerned about their future, because of council budget cuts.

The county council's remaining five homes are under review in light of bigger-than-expected budget cuts.

A care home accountant from County Durham has admitted defrauding the estates of dead residents to the amount of £180,000.

36-year-old Steven Mason abused his position as group internal auditor at Four Seasons Health Care to carry out the fraud between September 2010 and September 2011.

Mason, of Seaview, Easington, appeared at Teesside Crown Court to admit one count of fraud.

He withdrew money from the bank accounts of dead residents who lived across the UK.

The case was adjourned to allow a pre-sentence report to be prepared and Christopher Knox, defending, said he would ask a psychiatrist's advice "to deal with the question of addiction".

Mason was granted unconditional bail and will be sentenced on September 5.

A nurse accused of physically and verbally abusing dementia patients at a North Yorkshire care home is waiting to hear if she'll be struck off.

Christina Cooper denies the allegations and returned to London today for what's expected to be the final part of her hearing for alleged misconduct.

The panel at the Nursing and Midwifery Council has now finished listening to submissions in the case.

Rosewood House, a residential care home for older people in Teams, Gateshead, was given two fixed penalty notices of £4,000 each by the regulator after failing to meet national standards last year.

Rosewood House in Gateshead has been fined £8,000 by the Care Quality Commission after it failed inspections.

A care home has been fined £8,000 after failing an inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

Rosewood House in Gateshead was given two fixed penalty notices after it failed to meet national standards on several counts:

• Managing medicines: some residents were not given all their medicines because some supplies ran out - and allergies were not always recorded.
• Care and welfare of residents

The home was inspected in April and May last year and again in July. The regulator says improvements have been made since then.

Rosewood Care LLP, which runs the home, has released a statement:

A nurse from Middlesbrough has been jailed for six months for neglect relating to patients at the Winterbourne View Care Home near Bristol.

Six of the 11 care workers who admitted a total of 36 charges of neglect or abuse of patients have been jailed.

Nurse Kelvin Fore, 33, from Middlesbrough, was jailed for six months for wilfully neglecting patients. Ringleader Wayne Rogers, 32, who admitted nine counts of ill-treating patients, was jailed for two years.

The abuse was uncovered by a BBC Panorama programme.

Judge Neil Ford QC said there was a "culture of cruelty" at the care home.