Naseby Medical Centre in Saltley has been suspended by the CQC for six months
Naseby Medical Centre in Birmingham (Image: Google )
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has suspended Naseby Medical Centre in Birmingham for six months after inspectors uncovered serious safety and care failings.
The Saltley GP surgery has had its registration suspended ‘to keep people safe’ while urgent improvements are made, with its overall rating downgraded from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘inadequate’.
Inspectors found leaders failed to monitor long-term conditions, did not regularly review whether medications were appropriate, and relied on outdated record systems.
Staff did not follow the latest evidence-based guidance, putting patients at risk of serious complications.
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Naseby Medical Centre, which provides GP services to more than 5,500 patients, and has now been placed in ‘special measures’, had previously received a warning notice.
The watchdog returned to check compliance but uncovered additional concerns – including inadequate incident investigations, insufficient staff and blocked fire evacuation routes.
The CQC acted quickly, working with the local integrated care board (ICB), to ensure patients continue to receive care.
Caretaker arrangements will see another organisation manage services during the suspension, preventing any loss of treatment.
Andy Brand, CQC deputy director of primary and community care in the Midlands, said: “During our inspection of Naseby Medical Centre, we had significant and serious concerns about the ability of leaders to understand the service and the people they supported.
“They need to understand these well to ensure they’re providing people with effective care that meets their individual needs. They also needed to address issues we found around the monitoring and management of people’s care and treatment.
“People told us they were concerned about how the practice managed their long-term conditions, and we found staff didn’t manage these effectively.
“For example, staff weren’t regularly reviewing people’s diabetes which could result in them developing serious, life-changing complications if their needs had changed.
“We found the practice records had out-of-date and inaccurate information – which could mean people received treatment that didn’t address their current needs. Staff also didn’t deliver care based on the latest evidence and good practice.
“Naseby Medical Centre didn’t work with out-of-hours services to follow up on people who had needed support.
“We saw records of a person who had called an ambulance for a suspected stroke but refused to attend hospital.
“Although the GP said they had followed this up, the next entry in the person’s record was for a different condition with no reference to possible stroke symptoms.
“Staff didn’t regularly monitor people’s medications to check they were still appropriate. Inspectors found two people with asthma who had been prescribed a medication for anxiety that made their asthma inhaler ineffective.
“We took steps to suspend Naseby Medical Centre’s registration due to our concern about the quality of care the practice was delivering. Leaders need to make urgent improvements following this, and we will consider further regulatory action if appropriate.”
Other inspection findings included:
- Leaders did not have effective systems in place to investigate incidents
- Staff shortages and inadequate skills put patients at risk
- Fire safety arrangements were insufficient
- Leaders didn’t understand the risks people could face and how to mitigate these to keep them safe
Positives included plans to expand the practice and facilities, and staff providing information patients could understand.
The practice has now been placed in special measures, meaning it will be closely monitored while it looks to make improvements.