NHS Kent and Medway is putting in place arrangements for Dashwood Medical Centre in Ramsgate due to the upcoming retirement of long-serving GP Dr Michael Cardwell.
Dr Cardwell has been at the practice for 36 years but his retirement means the centre now needs new leadership.
Dashwood House, which is a5 GP practice with around 10,000 patients, was placed into special measures following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission at the end of last year.
The practice was issued two notices for breaches and warned it must ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way for service users and establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance.
The report, published in March, rated the service Inadequate overall.
Individual area ratings were inadequate for safety, require improvement for effective services, Good for caring, requires improvement for responsiveness and Inadequate for how the service is led.
A previous inspection in 2017 had found the surgery good overall and in all domains.
Dashwood Medical Centre has already made changes and expected to make further improvements.
It is understood Northdown surgery in Cliftonville may take over management of the centre but this has not been confirmed by NHS Kent and Medway. The St Anthony’s Way surgery has an overall good grading from the CQC. It was last inspected in 2016 and reviewed last month.
A spokesperson for NHS Kent and Medway said: “We are working on future arrangements for Dashwood Medical Centre, as Dr Cardwell is planning to retire after 36 years at the practice.”
prime for conversion into flats , parking as well
Everyone was promised that the move to the new premises would transform the surgery but it’s got even worse. Impossible to get an appointment, surly staff and you would rather just be ill than set foot in there.
Suggest Northdown Surgery get their own house in order before taking on another!
Quite agree with you, can be quite hopeless when trying to get any help from Northdown Surgery
I phoned the surgery once I was 9 on the waiting list for 40 minutes so I decided to drive up there and popped in to the surgery where two receptionist were doing nothing not even answering the phone so she said can I help you to witch I replied can you answer the phone please I’ve been waiting for 55 minutes ,disgusting service
Respect to Dr Cardwell he has been a good doctor over the 35 years and I have found him to be a very nice person / doctor . He has not had it easy. He had a very difficult doctor who joined the surgery who caused nothing but upheaval to the surgery and patients. Dr Cardwell had no support from the NHS or the CQC.
Ironically when Tony Blair government gave doctors a big pay increase , the knock on to that was a lot of GPs cut their working hours to receive the same pay working part time that they were receiving for working full time. I cannot understand why all GPs surgeries are not walk-in the appointment system clearly is not working for the benefit of the patients. Also the CQC need a lot to be desired these faceless wonders the last time they inspected Northdown Surgery was in 2016!!! 7 years ago.
Not my experience Bill, a few years ago I discovered by chance I had a serious condition after an investigation by a consultant that Cardwell concealed from me. I confronted him about this, and he said they were too busy to have my diagnosis explained to me. I complained to the CQC (and many other medical agencies) because I wasn’t the only one affected, and they carried out an investigation! I still have all the paperwork!
Makes no difference to me, cant spend hours on the phone behind 30 others & cant afford time off to be told no appointments either.
Retire the vast majority of staff too.
The most arrogant staff imaginable.
I recently had to visit the practice daily for an extended period. The nursing staff were fantastic, the receptionist almost nothing but helpful and accommodating and the few times I had to see the GP they made time for me.
The issues with GP Practices stems from chronic underfunding and Government neglect, not the people that work there. There are far more appealing roles for everyone concerned so they definitely want to be there!
I’ve not been able to see a GP at this surgery pre-Covid. Still using Covid as an excuse not to see patients face to face. The Nurses are fine.