One in three GP surgeries fails to meet basic standards

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has exposed the failures of GP surgeries in England after the first national inspection of 1000 surgeries was carried out.

In nine practices the CQC found “very serious failings that could potentially affect thousands of people”.

Live maggots were found in one Nottingham surgery, while blood and other samples were stored in a dirty utility room, according to The Telegraph.

The CQC’s inspections identified concerns about how some practices manage medicines.

They found emergency drugs being out of date or stored on the floor, and a lack of temperature checks of vaccine fridges.

“If children are not immunised effectively because a vaccine has been stored incorrectly the result could be an outbreak of a contagious childhood disease, such as measles across a large population,” said the CQC.

“Some practices were visibly dirty, had dirty cleaning equipment with no cleaning schedules, and staff had no knowledge of infection control guidance,” the CQC continued.

The visits uncovered the failings of the staff, with the CQC revealing that “practices were not always doing the necessary employment checks on staff who may have access to sensitive patient information and be in contact with vulnerable people”.

Inspectors also “found some practices were not putting staff through the correct clearances or making sure staff had appropriate training and access to qualifications”.

Professor Steve Field, CQC chief inspector for General Practice, highlighted that the findings were not wholly negative.

“The findings have shown that many people receive good quality care from their GP,” Field said.

Jeremy Hunt, secretary of state for health, said: “Patients have the right to expect the best care from their GP practice. That’s why we have introduced this new, tougher system of inspection which will root out poor standards and celebrate the best.”

Professor Field has said that the CQC will give GP practices ratings and all practices will be given ratings by April 2016.

Vanessa Smart