By Thomas Moore, Health Correspondent
Up to 200 GP practices across England face the threat of closure for providing potentially dangerous care to thousands of patients, the chief inspector of family doctors has warned.
Professor Steve Field told Sky News that a handful of surgeries would be shut down straight away after being found guilty of "serious failings".
And he said scores more would be given a year to improve - or face being closed down as well.
In his first major broadcast interview, Prof Field - the Chief Inspector of GPs for the Care Quality Commission (CQC) - said preliminary inspections suggested that up to 200 of the 8,000 practices in England were failing.
Prof Field said most severe problems were found in single doctor practices Problems included:
:: Late referrals for patients suspected of suffering from cancer, with potentially fatal consequences
:: Wrong medicines being prescribed to patients
:: Over-prescription of antibiotics
:: Child vaccinations not being stored in fridges, putting hundreds at risk
:: Out of date and unhygienic premises
:: Staff shortages and "chaotic management"
Prof Field said that the most severe problems were found in isolated, single doctor practices. "The writing is on the walls" for these type of practices, he said.
In many of these cases he said the problems had been known about for years, but authorities had not acted.
Up to 200 GP practices across England are facing the threat of closure Prof Field's team have been carrying out pilot checks on surgeries for the past year.
Last December it was revealed that one such check had found maggots at a surgery in Nottinghamshire.
Prof Field said that preliminary results following this process suggested that 2% were failing with large variations in standards of care.
He added that when the inspections were first launched almost one third of practices were struggling to achieve all of the basic standards.
That number had now dropped to below 20%, he said.
Prof Field vowed to act against unsafe surgeries even if politicians protested at the closure of their local practices.
"While there is a small number of practices which are very worrying - probably looking at only about 2% - they can affect 100s or 1000s of patients potentially. So this is very serious.
"For the small number of practices (providing unsafe care) they will either improve or they will cease to practice. We will remove their registration."
Many other practices will be given a year to improve Prof Field said that the 160 to 200 surgeries found to be failing will be given extra support from NHS England to help them improve.
"Unfortunately there are some ... which have gone on for years failing and people haven't drawn a line and said enough is enough. For those we will take urgent action.
"General Practice is the jewel in our crown and we're undermined by a small percentage of GPs who are not providing the care our patients deserve."
All 8,000 practices in England face inspections from next month and the CQC's findings will be published under a new Ofsted-style regime.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of BMA GP committee, said: "We know that a lot of GPs are working in an environment that is extremely difficult and challenging, in premises that are not fit for purpose.
"And yet they cannot find another place to work in because there are no funds to relocate them. It would not be right to criticise or blame them for factors outside their control."
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
GP Practices Face Closure Over Dangerous Care
Dengan url
http://cucikakiku.blogspot.com/2014/09/gp-practices-face-closure-over.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
GP Practices Face Closure Over Dangerous Care
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
GP Practices Face Closure Over Dangerous Care
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar