CQC place Kent GP practice into special measures

England’s Chief Inspector of General Practice has placed Old West Surgery in Old Road West, Gravesend, Kent into special measures following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission in August.

Inspectors rated the service as Inadequate for being safe, effective and well-led and Requires Improvement for being caring and responsive to people’s needs. The overall rating was Inadequate.

The full inspection report can be found on our website.

Ruth Rankine, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice, said;

“It is concerning to find a surgery that was previously rated Good now in a state of decline. The provider will need to ensure that all of the risks that have been identified are addressed."

“However, in the meantime as a result of this inspection we have placed Old West Surgery into special measures and have also issued two warning notices."

“We will re-inspect the practice within six months to check whether sufficient improvements have been made. If we find that the service provided by this surgery remains inadequate, we will take further action”

Key findings of the inspection included:

• The practice failed to record, investigate and learn from significant incidents.
• The practice was tidy but some areas of the premise required repair. The practice had not conducted an annual infection prevention control audit. Checklists were completed with staff confirming cleaning had been undertaken. However, there were no detailed cleaning schedules to show where, when and how items were cleaned.
• The practice had insufficient arrangements in place to respond to emergencies and major incidents. Best practice guidance had not been followed.
• Patients reported difficulties making an appointment.
• There was not an effective system to ensure the safe management of medicines.

There were vacant roles within the practice and the risks associated with this had not been addressed.

Ends

For further information please contact CQC Regional Engagement Officer Lara Orija on 07789 875 306. 

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