Special measures for GP surgery with no pads for its defibrillator

Care Quality Commission inspectors rated Lower Farm Health Centre in Bloxwich 'inadequate' in two separate reports.

During one visit CQC investigators discovered that the surgery's defibrillator had no leads or pads.

Inspectors noted other failings, which included patients not always receiving apologies when mistakes were made, risks to patients not always being assessed and well managed, and not all patients feeling cared for, supported and listened to.

The practice also had gaps in recruitment checks for new employees.

In the first report from an inspection on May 18 the health centre was rated 'inadequate' for its safety, effectiveness and leadership and was told to improve its responsiveness and level of caring.

But after a second inspection on July 8 its responsiveness was downgraded to 'inadequate'. Both reports were published on August 25.

• Click here to read the full reports

Inspectors said: "Staff understood their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. But the systems in place to review and investigate incidents were not thorough enough.

"The practice did not have a system for shared learning, they did not hold regular practice or clinical meetings and they were not attending external meetings with other healthcare professionals.

"Risks to patients were not always assessed and well managed."

Dr Hammad Lodhi, who is taking over the surgery from Dr Taj Khattak, said the centre had made improvements.

He said: "I was not at the practice for the first inspection and was only in the job two days at the time of the second. We have had a big recruitment drive since then.

"At the time of the inspection there was no manager and no nurses, now we have a practice nurse, a manager, myself as a GP, a locum doctor, three full-time admin staff and more."

Dr Khattak, who ran the practice, is now retiring. His wife, Nighat Khattak, who had been helping him with the surgery since December, said: "Dr Khattak has given 38 years of his best work to this community."