West Bromwich GP could be forced to close after string of failings uncovered
A doctors’ practice with more than 4,000 patients is facing possible closure following a second damning inspection in nine months.
Dr PV Gudi and Partner, based at Hill Top Surgery in West Bromwich, has been given another chance to improve by the Care Quality Commission.
The health watchdog has rated the practice ‘inadequate’ following an inspection in October. The practice, which has 4,300 patients, received the same rating in January.
The watchdog discovered clinical rooms with emergencies medicines inside unlocked and key cards left in patients’ reach.
It also found prescriptions uncollected from three months before, despite the practice claiming to review them every four to six weeks. Four were for children.
And the practice did poorly on a score system for providing care for patients on the mental health register with just 56 per cent having a care plan in place.
The practice was rated ‘inadequate’ overall as well as in three subcategories; safety, service effectiveness and leadership.
It scored ‘good’ in care and responding to people’s needs.
The practice has been ordered to put in place an effective system of health reviews, especially in the case of mental health patients, and to improve security procedures.
CQC’s Chief Inspector of General Practice, Professor Steve Field said the practice would be revisited in six months.
He added: “If, after re-inspection, the service has failed to make sufficient improvement, and is still rated as inadequate for any population group, key question or overall, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating the service.
“This will lead to cancelling their registration or varying the terms of their registration within six months if they do not improve.
“The service 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.”
The practice provides services for people who are sick as well as chronic disease management and end-of-life care. It also provides minor surgery, childhood vaccination and immunisation schemes. It has two GP partners, a long-term male locum GP, nurse and healthcare assistant.
No one at Hill Top was available for comment.
Read the full CQC report here.
