CQC places Peterborough GP practice into Special Measures

England’s Chief Inspector of General Practice has placed Dogsthorpe Medical Centre into special measures following a Care Quality Commission inspection which found the quality of care to be Inadequate overall.

Inspectors rated the practice, in Poplar Avenue, Peterborough, as Inadequate for being safe, effective, responsive and well-led and as Requires Improvement for being for being caring following an inspection in April 2016.

A full report of the inspection, which details inspectors’ findings and highlights the areas where improvements must be made, has been published: www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-518504508

Janet Williamson, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice and Dentistry in CQC’s Central region said:

“It is important that people registered with Dogsthorpe Medical Centre can rely on getting the high quality care which everyone is entitled to receive from their GP.

"Inspectors saw several areas where improvements were needed during the inspection. Patients told us they struggled to get through to the practice by telephone and to get an appointment and feedback from district nurses and care home managers about the practice was poor.

“We found staffing at the practice was not stable, staff from another service had been brought in to provide additional support. The practice also relied on locum GPs to cover shifts as it struggled to recruit doctors.

“Significant events were not adequately managed or recorded and we found that health checks for patients with learning disabilities were low, and had not improved since our previous inspection. “Additionally we found the practice’s policies in relation to health and safety and infection control were not being followed by staff.

“We found significant areas of concern and this is why we are placing the practice into special measures - so opening the way for the practice to receive support from NHS England among others.

“We will continue to monitor this practice and we will inspect again in six months to check whether improvements have been made. I am hopeful that the practice will do what is required for the sake of its patients, but if we find that the service remains inadequate, we will consider taking further action.”

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