A CARE home where staff left a resident suffering from cystic fibrosis, epilepsy and diabetes to take a bath unsupervised, was criticised at an inquest yesterday.

The hearing in North Yorkshire was told how Mark Beckett, 27, had used an emergency call system in the bathroom to tell care worker Stephen Allan he felt "low".

Mr Allan, who assumed this was because his blood sugar level had fallen, provided biscuits and told Mr Beckett - who was known to like to "do his own thing" - to get dressed rather than have a bath.

He then went downstairs but within ten minutes the emergency bell sounded again and Mr Beckett was found face down in nearly a foot of water.

Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation failed to revive him, the hearing in Harrogate was told.

Mr Beckett lived at Aire House, in Westcliffe Grove, in the town.

Coroner John Sleight-holme, who recorded an accidental death verdict, said Mr Beckett had drowned after what pathologist Dr Carl Gray had decided was a collapse into the bath precipitated by his epilepsy or by hypoglycaemia.

He said he had studied reports of an internal inquiry by the home's owners, Craegmoor Health Care, and one conducted by North Yorkshire County Council inspection officer David Martin.

As a result ''certain action'' had been taken on staff training and record keeping.

Mr Allan said Mr Beckett had not shown any signs of being "low". His speech and coordination had not been a problem and he had "looked pretty well".

He had remained outside the room for about five minutes after giving Mr Beckett biscuits and had been assured he was getting dressed.

Craegmoor's clinical services manager, Francis Cummins, rejected suggestions that Mr Beckett should not have been left alone.

"We need to be quite clear why he came into the home. It was not to receive nursing care. The main focus of his stay was to increase his independence and quality of life. To stand in the bathroom while he was bathing would have reduced his quality of life and taken away his dignity.