A Brighton doctors’ surgery has inadequate leadership while the overall practice requires improvement, according to an official inspection report.
The Brighton Station Health Centre was given the “requires improvement” rating – the second worst of four grades – by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
The doctors, nurses and receptionists were mostly praised but the management was singled out for a list of shortcomings, including an inability to retain medical staff.
The practice in Queen’s Road, Brighton, is run by Care UK and service manager Carol Boyd-Jones. It was criticised for not providing services that were safe, effective, caring and responsive enough.
To read the report, click here.
The chief inspector of general practice Steve Field said: “Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and to report incidents and near misses.
“However, information about safety was not consistently recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed. There was no evidence of learning and communication with staff.”
The walk-in centre’s sexual health service was rated as outstanding. Specialist nurse Tamuka Gonah has already been recognised with a national award for his work in reducing the number of people in Brighton and Hove with sexual infections and improving detection rates.
Professor Field also said: “Due to difficulties recruiting medical staff there had been occasions when there had been insufficient medical cover and reliance on locum staff.
“This had an impact on patients having to wait to be seen and lack of continuity of care.
“Systems, processes and policies in place to manage and monitor risks to patients, staff and visitors were not in place.
“The practice’s extended opening hours enabled patients to access appointments and in a way and at a time that suited them.
“The practice actively encouraged its patients to live healthier lives. It provided health and well-being checks to registered patients and encouraged them to attend for a range of health checks.
“Patient feedback from the national GP survey showed good levels of satisfaction with getting through on the phone, the receptionists, the opening hours and the extent to which the nurses involved patients in their care and treated them with care and concern.
