Patients raise petition to ‘save’ Mocketts Wood Surgery following CQC special measures ruling

Mocketts Wood Surgery has been placed in special measures

Outraged patients at Mocketts Wood surgery in St Peter’s have raised a petition to protest at the Care Quality Commission decision to put the centre in special measures.

In just hours more than 230 people have signed to ask the CQC to take the practice out of special measures and provide them with a process partnering from another practice which follows the required standards for risk registers and recruitment processes.

The CQC took the action after rating the surgery as inadequate following inspections in July and August.

The measures mean the surgery in Hopeville Avenue could be shut down if it does not make adequate improvements in the next six months.

Inspector findings

In the report published this week the surgery was rated inadequate in three areas – safety, effectiveness and leadership – as requires improvement for being responsive and rated good for caring services.

The inspectors found a number of breaches including practice staff who had contact with the public had not been appropriately immunised to keep them safe; appropriate checks on staff prior to appointing them were not carried out; the practice had not appropriately assessed, scoped, trained and supervised members of the clinical team and the overall governance arrangements were not consistently effective.

Patient support

But many patients have rallied to support the centre, praising the care they have received. Scores of people responded on facebook to say they were shocked by the CQC decision.

Tricia Buchanan has set up the petition. On the petition site she says: “The practice is in danger of losing its license and has been placed in special measures. This is unacceptable to the patients they look after very capably and efficiently.

“Every staff member shows competence and professionalism, kindness and concern going out of their way to help people and treat them like adults with dignity. For thousands of their patients it’s the best GP Practice they have experienced in their lives. ”

Other patients said:  “What planet do these inspectors live on? The pressure these doctors work under must be enormous but they are always patient and caring.”

Another said: “This is the best surgery I’ve ever been to, I always get seen the same day I call, even just to talk about medication, the staff and doctors have been amazing, I literally cannot fault them at all, their a great team, they go above and beyond.”

Another added: “Mocketts Wood Surgery is excellent. The doctors are so caring and kind. We are so lucky to have such an amazing service in St Peter’s I cannot believe they received such a negative report. Not in line with the practice my family have received.”

CQC backing

However, other patients have backed the CQC with one saying: “The Commission is there for our safety and well-being. If Mockett’s Wood properly addresses the issues which caused it to fail inspections, then it can continue, only in an improved way. What’s wrong with that? I personally like to think my health and welfare is taken very seriously and is being impartially monitored. “Liking” a particular surgery or a GP doesn’t mean it’s performing to an acceptable standard.”

The previous rating for the surgery, which has  9,208 patients on the books,was in 2015 where it was found to be good. A regulatory review in May this year found no significant changes to the quality of service being provided. However, the issues were raised followed two announced inspections in July and August.

Find the petition here

The CQC says the surgery must make improvements to:

 

  • Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.
  • Ensure that any complaint received is investigated and any proportionate action is taken in response to any failure identified by the complaint or investigation
  • Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care

Find the CQC report here

Find the CQC detailed evidence table here

10 Comments

  1. Government austerity and cruel cuts to public spending have reduced us to this. We end up desperate for a GP service in our area so we demand that any errors and flaws be dealt with rather too quickly rather than lose the whole service. But unscrupulous local authorities and Tory-run bodies rush to close down our services like GP surgeries and Residential Care Homes to sell off the land to their friends the property developers. They hide behind a phoney “concern” for proper “standards” yet they are responsible for the lack of money that led to poor standards in the first place. It’s a win/win situation for the Tories. First they cut back public spending and give the savings to the wealthy in tax cuts. Then, when the public services become so run-down that they have to be closed, they sell off the land to their wealthy friends for building sites. We are being played like cheap violins.

  2. When we moved to Broadstairs seven years ago one of our major concerns was about getting a “good G.P.” – we had been used to large practices in London providing good services. Finding Mocketts Wood was a real bonus – good doctors and support services etc. I usually see Dr Reddy and he is always patient and very friendly. Surgery has suffered as a result of the closure of Broadstairs Health Centre and lots of people around St. Peters looking to move to a good practice – hence it has far more patients now than it did. If “special measures” results in more money being put in, then good but I doubt this will be the case. Patients need to defend our practice – will be a battle but its one we must win.

  3. I quite agree. Looking at their report I could be a candidate for all the problems. I am 85 year old, with a kidney condition(found by Dr Reddy after years of being traded for urinary problems by a dozen other doctors. After a recent bad accident I was treated with utmost care and attention by Dr,Reddy and the Office Managers making sure I was getting the right nutrition. No.one could have asked for more.

    • Broadstairs Health Centre did close after the compulsory tendering fiasco that gave the contract to Concordia – who then walked away. Site taken over by a good local G.P. who has a far better building and gives a good service – which is what should have happened in the first place. However, lots of patients did move to Mocketts Wood surgery in the interim until it was sorted – hence the reason for big increase in patient numbers.

      • Mocketts Wood gives excellent service and point of fact Dr Reddy saved my wife’s life with his excellent skill. The surgery looks well run and staff are always helpful and pleasant. One of the large problems are the government shut down single Dr surgery’s in this area with new rules so all these patients had to find new Dr’s making them over subcribed.

  4. Mocketts Wood gives excellent service and point of fact Dr Reddy saved my wife’s life with his excellent skill. The surgery looks well run and staff are always helpful and pleasant. One of the large problems are the government shut down single Dr surgery’s in this area with new rules so all these patients had to find new Dr’s making them over subcribed.

    • Well said Michael Howard – this is the nub of the problem. We shouldn’t be “nimbys” but our local GPs have good service and simply attract more and more patients. This is one area where we don’t need or want a “free market”. End product is the so-called “special measures”!

  5. Mocketts Wood surgery run by Dr Reddy and his wife Dr Sree is absolutely 1st class, Dr Reddy and all doctors and staff are the most helpful and caring you could ever wish for, Dr Reddy has always been very caring,helpful and polite, the walk in clinic on Monday and Friday are great if you want to see a doctor straight away,i am the envy of all my family and fiends as their surgery offers nothing like this service, before the jobsworths start trying to close our fantastic surgery how about them consulting the patients and get it 1st hand how great it is. Ian Mansfield

    • I totally agree with fellow patients’ praise for Mocketts Wood.I left my previous Doctors 3 years ago.Best move I ever made.I have received first class treatment from all who work there. I too have witnessed at first hand that Dr Reddy goes above and beyond & also the new Dr Bragga (excuse spelling) particularly as they now have too many patients!! Keep up the good work.

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