Damning report on surgery

A GP's practice could face the threat of closure after inspectors ruled it inadequate and placed it in special measures in a highly-critical report.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found a huge list of shortcomings and unacceptable practices at Dr Naya Nand Das’ surgery in Leigh and said it would take enforcement actions if urgent improvements did not happen.

Inspectors found there was no oxygen on site for emergencies and a complete lack of health and safety policies, risk assessments or methods to prevent infection.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Care models and procedures were out of date, safety incidents were not investigated and lessons not learned and there were serious problems with the practice’s leadership, the CQC also found.

The inspectors found the practice was inadequate in three of the five main areas looked at with the other two requiring improvement.

Half a dozen services for groups of patients, some of them at risk or vulnerable, were all ruled inadequate.

Professor Steve Field, the CQC chief inspector of general practice, said: “I am placing this practice in special measures.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The practice will be kept under review and if needed could be escalated to urgent enforcement action.

“Where necessary, another inspection will be conducted within a further six months, and if there is not enough improvement we will move to close the service.

“Special measures will give people who use the practice the reassurance that the care they get should improve.”

Inspectors found the practice’s safety, service effectiveness and leadership were all inadequate, while its caring for patients and responsiveness require improvement.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The report says incidents and near-misses were not thoroughly reviewed or investigated and the outcomes not shared and the surgery’s overall activity procedures needed reviewing and updating.

No checks or assessments were in place for issues such as fire safety or legionella while there was limited access for disabled patients and information was not available in all the languages spoken by those using the practice.

The inspectors demanded the introduction of regular fire alarms and drills, the creation of business plans, improvements to recruitment and sweeping changes to the practice’s management.

Responding to the report, Dr Das said: “There were some difficulties and we are hoping these will improve within a week or two.”

Related topics: