Our drs has a cqc of inadequate

[CambsAlways]

As someone with long term chronic health issues, should I be worried

[acocadochocolate]

Yes. Happened to mine too. I soldiered on and on with them thinking the only way is up...... but they got worse and worse. It culminated with a GP slamming the phone down on me. That afternoon, I collected application forms from another surgery and within about 7-10 days, the move was complete. The new surgery is amazing and has done stuff to help despite the previous GP saying there was nothing else they could do. (I also have a chronic condition so speak to the doctor about every 4-6 weeks).

[tribpot]

I'd probably look at the specifics of the report - CQC have some examples here - but almost certainly I'd be looking to move. Do you have a good relationship with your GP and are you able to see him/her rather than having to see a different GP each time? If you do, it might be worth hanging on as that continuity of care is so important for long term health conditions. If you don't or the report is very concerning, I would move.

[CambsAlways]

No I wouldn’t say I have a good relationship with my GP it was hard to get to see one, and obviously even more difficult now, but we have lost a few good drs, which worries many of the patients the drs moved to pastures new, I will have to have a think about this, Thankyou

[lydia7986]

It wouldn’t bother me in the slightest, to be honest!

The CQC is a ridiculous organisation with ridiculous regulations that GP surgeries have to meet in order to get a ‘Good’ or ‘Satisfactory’ rating.

Actual reasons a surgery can fail it’s CQC inspection include:

• A piece of unlaminated paper on a notice board (according to the CQC, it’s an ‘infection risk’)
  
• Clinical staff who can’t prove they’ve had three tetanus vaccinations, as the records of their vaccinations have been lost, by the NHS (even though tetanus cannot spread from person to person)
  
• Not all staff have a photo of themselves in the staff file (supposedly so that the members of staff who access patient notes can have their identity verified first every single time, even though GPsurgeries are small workplaces where everyone knows everyone)
  
• The practice is unable to account for every single piece of prescription paper that has ever entered the surgery (or fails to remove it from the printer and keep it under lock and key at the end of every day).

[lydia7986]

Additionally, a reason many surgeries fail is because of ‘inadequate’ monitoring of patients on a few select medications.

Patients on these certain medications are supposed to have annual blood tests to check that the drugs aren’t damaging their liver or other organs, but if practices aren’t very careful, these patients might get their prescriptions renewed without having the blood test.

This is a problem for patient safety, but it only affects the c.200-300 patients on these certain medications at that practice.

If you aren’t on these medications, then the practice failing on patient safety for this reason doesn’t mean that the care you are receiving from the practice is unsafe.

[CambsAlways]

I have blood tests many more times than annually for the rest of my life , so that is one reason why I am concerned

[AnnaMagnani]

Have a look why they have Inadequate. It may be due to serious reasons or as PPs say, a failure to 'play the game' in inspections.

GPs leaving suggests there were problems and they were getting out.

Or they may have just relocated and then the surgery got Inadequate because they were short staffed through no fault of their own. You never know.

[CambsAlways]

Yes good idea thanks Anna

[yikesanotherbooboo]

I totally agree that it really depends on why they were rated inadequate. One of the biggest issues is one of man power that is doctors but also practice nurses and admin staff. There is a shortage of doctors in particular and if a practice is low on doctor hours it can make it terribly difficult to complete all the tick boxing required for a good or excellent rating.