A Bootle GP practice has hit out at a care watchdog after it rated the service "inadequate."
North Park Health Centre on Knowsley Road in Bootle received the worst possible rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection carried out last November.
According to a report released by the CQC last week, problems included a “lack of leadership” at the practice with a catalogue of failings identified.
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This included problems around safeguarding, record keeping and monitoring of clinical capacity. Concerns were also raised about the ability of patients to access treatment, with the report describing how many were “highly dissatisfied” with the practice’s approach to telephone appointments.
In one instance, vaccines had to be destroyed after a “significant event” regarding their maintenance, with records not being kept appropriately to log fridge temperatures.
Concerns over staffing levels were also noted, alongside the issues around the capacity of the health centre to provide appointments in a timely manner. Other concerns included the management of long-term conditions in some patients, and the evaluation of risks of some medications being taken together in other patients.
Caring services were rated as “good” with inspectors noting the “kindness” with which patients were treated, while the practice was rated as “requires improvement” in terms of effectiveness and “inadequate” in relation to safety, responsiveness and leadership.
Responding to the report, a spokesperson for North Park health centre said that prior to the covid pandemic, the centre had been rated as “good.”
The spokesperson said several changes had to be made to the practice as a result of the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, with the centre being asked to become a pandemic hub, which it remained until April 2022.
There had also been a change in the practice’s alternative provider medical services contract in October 2022. The spokesperson said: “With the above upheavals that the practice was facing it has been challenging in the last few months for the practice, including retention of staff.
“However, the practice has made huge strides in recruiting new staff and recovering from the changes that it went through during the pandemic.
“During this inspection the CQC inspected the practice using a new inspection methodology by CQC, that was instated in June 2022.
“On reviewing CQC findings we identified and challenged several factual inaccuracies, and made representations to the CQC. This led to the representations relating to staffing being upheld and notice withdrawn by CQC. Several other aspects of the report continue to be contested.”
The spokesperson said that as a result the publication of the report was “premature” and the practice ”intends challenging it through a judicial review.”
The spokesperson slammed the new inspection regime, stating that it had resulted in almost 40% of GP practices being rated as either adequate or requiring improvement as well as almost 50% of care homes, adding: “This shows that the new inspection regime post June 2022 is focused too much on finding any negatives by any means, and ignoring the positives, leading to procedural unfairness and biased opinion, putting the NHS under even further strain.
“While the NHS is going through such difficulties, this added pressure on GPs is leading to many to leave the profession and the country, and is not supportive to the health service. At this point in time, a more supportive regime from the government for GP practices is urgently needed.”
The spokesperson added that although the practice is planning to challenge the inspection findings, it will also “continue working on making improvements to the services in the coming months.”
The CQC was approached about the claims made by North Park medical centre and a spokesperson said reports were checked through an internal quality process before being published and checked for accuracy with feedback “considered before publication.”
The CQC spokesperson continued: “Practices are also able to raise challenges to the findings and make representations against enforcement action as part of that process. If providers still aren’t satisfied, they are also able to appeal against our findings.
“We have an ongoing commitment to flexible regulation, minimising the impact it has on providers and working with them as partners with a shared goal – giving people who use services assurance about the care they can expect to receive and that their concerns are being listened to. That’s why we have been working with GPs across England as we develop our approach ensuring activity is proportionate and helps keep people safe.
“Where our inspectors do find issues that need to be addressed, it’s encouraging to see providers use the findings of our reports to focus their attention and improve the quality of care provided.”
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