'Serious Failings' At Local GP Practice

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) have issued a damning report on the Lakeside Medical Centre on Todd Crescent.

The CQC believe that patients of Dr Bijan Saha were being placed at "unacceptable levels of risk" and concluded that the failings were having a "major impact" on patients at the surgery. The practice failed to meet 11 standards of safety and patient care with officials identifying problems with privacy and dignity for patients, cleanliness and medication errors.

The regulator is taking enforcement action against the surgery but is not legally permitted to comment on the type of action.

Michele Golden, CQC's Head of GP inspection in the South, told SFM News: "The issues that we have identified at Dr Saha's practice are very serious, and we'd urge anyone who uses it to read our full report. The failings detailed in the report show why we've decided to take action against him - although we cannot discuss the nature of that action any further at this stage for legal reasons. We've shared our concerns with the rest of the local health economy and have asked that they also consider what action they may need to take to ensure that people using services at this practice are protected from harm. People using this practice are currently at unacceptable levels of risk - and keeping them safe is a job for all of us. Patients are entitled to be treated in services which are safe, effective, caring, well run, and responsive to their needs. We'll continue to monitor this practice very closely, and will report further on the action we are taking in due course."

The action follows an unannounced inspection of the practice in March. Inspectors looked at 11 standards of care at the surgery including respecting and involving people who use services, the adequate care and welfare of patients, whether or not appropriate measures were in place to safeguard people who use services from abuse, whether there is adequate cleanliness and infection control and the effective management of medicines. They also looked at the safety and suitability of the premises, various requirements relating to workers, record keeping and the assessment and monitoring of the quality of service provision.

The practice failed to meet National Standards in all areas the CQC concluded. Patients told inspectors during their visit that practice staff would talk about other cases in their presence - breaching patient confidentiality, two patients said that they didn't feel listened to during their consultations and it was also found that medicines were not being handled or stored properly.

You can read the Full Report on the Care Quality Commission's website at:- www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-530779339.