Care Quality Commission rate Huddersfield GP inadequate and place it into special measures

England’s Chief Inspector of General Practice has rated a Huddersfield GP surgery as Inadequate and placed the practice into Special Measures following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission.

A specialist team of inspectors rated the service provided by Dr Butt and Partner as ‘Inadequate’ for providing services that were safe, effective, and well-led, and ‘Good’ for providing caring services and responsiveness.

Under CQC’s new programme of inspections, all of England’s GP practices are being inspected and given a rating. Overall, Dr Butt and Partner has been rated as Inadequate and placed in special measures.

The practice was inspected in August 2015 by an inspection team which included a lead CQC inspector supported by a GP and an expert by experience.  A full report of this inspection has been published on the CQC website today at: http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-559259129

CQC recognised that there had been considerable efforts to make improvements to the service in recent months. The practice is improving but there is still  work to do to reach the required standards.

The Care Quality Commission has identified a number of areas where the provider must make improvements, ensuring:

• Systems and processes are in place to assess, monitor and mitigate risks to patients’ and others health and safety. Including staff training and risk assessments in areas such as fire safety and infection prevention and control
• Safe storage and transport of vaccines.
• Induction processes are in place for new and locum staff
• Staff receive training and supervision relevant to their role such as, health and safety including fire safety, basic life support, safeguarding vulnerable adults and children and infection prevention and control.
• Clinical records are adequately maintained and records used for the management of the practice are accurate, up to date and secure.

CQC is working closely with the local Clinical Commissioning Group and NHS England to support the practice while it addresses the issues identified by the inspection.

Sue McMillan, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice said:

“It is important that the people who are registered with Dr Butt and Partner can rely on getting the high quality care which everyone is entitled to receive from their GP.

“I do not believe that the practice is likely to resolve its challenges without external support. This is why we are placing the practice into special measures.

“After a period of six months we will inspect again to check whether sufficient improvements have been made. If we find that the service provided by this practice remains inadequate, we will consider taking steps to cancel its registration with CQC.”

Patients registered with the practices being placed into special measures should be aware that the package of support being offered by NHS England and the Royal College of GPs will ensure that there are no immediate risks to patient safety at these GP practices whilst improvements are being made.