Financial pressures and staffing issues have been cited as the reasons behind a care home in Romsey consulting on its possible closure.

Edwina Mountbatten House, a care home in Palmerston Street run by not-for-profit organisation The Countess Mountbatten of Burma Memorial Trust, has 23 beds supported by 30 full and part time staff.

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A registered charity, the management of the home is overseen by a board of trustees.

A spokesperson for the trustees said: “In the current economic and social climate, the costs of running a small care home outweigh the revenue we can obtain from the rooms which is our only source of income.

"We have begun consultation with our staff on ways to avoid closure and advised our residents and their families of the situation.

“We will only move to closure when we are convinced that there is no alternative and when our residents are able to safely move to their new homes ensuring continuity of care throughout the process.

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“It will be business as usual until we have finished our consultation and we will be giving all possible support to our staff and residents during this very difficult time.”

The home was founded in the memory of Lady Edwina Mountbatten, 1st Countess Mountbatten of Burma and was established in 1970 by the Mountbatten family, local residents, Hampshire County Council and other supporters.

Its website says: "We provide our residents with a relaxed, homely and secure environment in which their care, well-being and comfort are of prime importance. We are one happy family of residents and staff."

It was last inspected by the health watchdog CQC in January 2021.

The report, published in April 2021, said that the home 'required improvement.'

At the time of inspection, the home care was looking after 16 people aged 65 in one building, arranged over two floors.

Inspectors said that infection control practice needed to be improved, improvements were needed to make the premises were fully secure and that records relating to people's care were not always accurate or up to date.

They also noted that medicines were well managed, that there were enough staff to meet people's needs, staff had been recruited safely and that relatives felt confident that their family members were safe.

The report noted that residents were well supported, the building has been refurbished and that people spoke positively about the leadership team.

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