Home / Health / GP Surgery Fails Safety Inspection, Patients at Risk
GP Surgery Fails Safety Inspection, Patients at Risk
13 Mar
Summary
- Surgery downgraded to inadequate in safety category by CQC.
- Lack of staff training risks missed diagnoses and delays.
- One patient with chest pain told to go to A&E themselves.
Cricklade Surgery, near Swindon, has been downgraded to 'inadequate' in its safety rating following a recent Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection. The report highlighted serious issues stemming from poor leadership and unsafe practices, which inspectors concluded put patients at risk.
A significant concern was the lack of adequate staff training. The CQC found that only one in ten staff members possessed basic life support training. This deficiency, along with a backlog of 232 pathology test results awaiting review, raised fears of delayed diagnoses and treatments.
In a particularly worrying incident, a patient experiencing chest pain was reportedly instructed to make their own way to A&E. The surgery has since addressed this by providing further training to the staff member involved and updating its chest pain policy.
Due to these critical findings, the CQC has placed Cricklade Surgery into special measures. This means the practice will be under close scrutiny to ensure necessary improvements are made to safeguard patient well-being.
The GP principal acknowledged the findings were disappointing and attributed some issues to a period of significant staffing transition. He stated the surgery is committed to remaining operational and continuing to offer high-quality care to its patients.
