'Inadequate' Walsall GP surgery put in special measures

St Mary's Surgery on Field Road, Bloxwich, was rated inadequate in three out of five areas by Care Quality Commission inspectors.

It was discovered that no risk assessments had been completed for Health and Safety at the surgery since 2013, while inspectors also found that limited medicines were available to treat patients in an emergency situation.

Safety, effectiveness and leadership were all deemed inadequate, while responsiveness was deemed to require improvement and care was given a good rating.

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Staff who were interviewed during the inspection in February also raised concern after telling the CQC inspectors that they did not know what emergency medicines the doctors had and where they were kept, while there was no central emergency box for staff to access.

It was also noted that there was no designated leading member of staff to oversee any issues with safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from harm.

Leadership was seen as a major problem, with a statement attached to the CQC report reading: "There was no evidence that the practice had a vision or strategy in place."

Other issues included the lack of a patient participation group, at the surgery, which is part of the NHS Walsall Clinical Commissioning Group.

However, inspectors noted that patients had said they were treated 'with compassion, dignity and respect'.

Professor Steve Field, chief inspector of General Practice with the CQC, said: "The service will be kept under review and if needed could be escalated to urgent enforcement action.

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

A statement from Dr N.D. Devasia and Dr D Panagamuwa said: "As a practice, we at St Mary's Surgery realise the CQC inspection has highlighted a number of areas thatneed to be addressed.

"We have taken immediate action, and continue to work hard to make changes to how the practice operates.

"We are very confident that in six months, when we are re-inspected, we can demonstrate these changes have been made; and that we will achieve an overall rating of Good."