Medicare Unit Surgery is regulated by the Care Quality Commission. The CQC's job is to check whether hospitals, care homes, GPs, dentists and services in your home are meeting national standards.
They do this by inspecting services and publishing their findings, helping people to make choices about the care they receive.
You can find out more about the CQC by visiting www.cqc.org.uk
The CQC visited us in February 2017 and the following report summary was published:
CQC Statement of Purpose
- To provide the best possible quality service for our patients within a confidential and safe environment by working together
- To show our patients courtesy and respect at all times irrespective of ethnic origin, religious belief, personal attributes or the nature of the health problem
- To involve our patients in decisions regarding their treatment
- To promote good health and well being to our patients through education and information
- To involve other healthcare professionals in the care of our patients where it is in their best interests
- To encourage our patients to get involved in the practice through participation in our Patient Participation Groups and encouragement to comment on the care they receive
- To ensure that all members of the team have the right skills and training to carry out their duties competently.
RESPONSE TO THE CQC REPORT ON BUCKSHAW VILLAGE SURGERY FOLLOWING DECEMBER 2021 INSPECTION
From The Lancashire and Cumbria Consortium of Local Medical Committees
The Lancashire and Cumbria Consortium of Local Medical Committees feels deeply concerned about the ongoing amount of pressure in General Practice.
In fact, the LMC has been vocal across the area in different forums about the unprecedented amount of work – the heavy workload that practices have to respond to got far more serious during the COVID-19 pandemic. We feel that the recent CQC inspection of Buckshaw Surgery is an example of how this pressure is affecting otherwise good practices and it is unfortunate that CQC have chosen Buckshaw to make as this example.
It is seemingly evident that CQC is not considering the effect of the pandemic on practices during unprecedented times.
We were assured that allowance would be made for the impact of the pandemic, but this does not appear to be the case.
The LMC will continue to work with Buckshaw Surgery to support them in rectifying any points of concern, but we also urge the public to be considerate of the insurmountable pressure that practices, and indeed the whole NHS, face even now as the pandemic appears to be becoming less severe.
From our owner and clinical lead Dr N Muttucumaru
Dear Patients,
Recently our service was inspected by the Care Quality Commission.
The Care Quality Commission is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom.
It was established in 2009 to regulate and inspect health and social care services in England.
This inspection was carried out by two physical inspectors and via remote interviews over a period of 5 days in late November and early December.
Each practice in our group has been inspected at least once since 2013 and on all occasions have been rated Good across all measures – and outstanding in some specific measures.
This inspection – and the subsequent report has rated the service as Requiring Improvement overall, with inadequate in one area.
It is our duty to display this rating – which we are doing so – however we are also outlining to patients how we feel this rating does not – in any way – reflect the service we provide.
We are challenging the rating with CQC and have requested a meeting with national leads.
We have submitted huge swathes of evidence to them to demonstrate that the concerns set out in the report are simply not real concerns and above all we want to reassure you, as our patients, that we aim to adopt the highest standards in everything that we do for you.
We have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic, and continue to do so, to aim to deliver the best service we can, within the very strict parameters that we are required to work.
A detailed inspection report is available for patients to review – and we encourage patients to read this.
There is much we can say, and have said to CQC, around the restrictions that were placed on our activity, and the restrictions that were placed on you, our patients, around shielding, not leaving your homes and your ability to access our practice premises.
CQC have highlighted areas where we have not done as many patient medication reviews as we normally would have done (pre pandemic) They highlight Asthma inhalers.
The CQC have failed to set this in the context of people with lung conditions being advised or required to stay at home.
The report outlines concern with recruitment of staff – with regards background safety checks.
We would like to reassure you that no one has been employed at this practice without us being entirely satisfied as to their suitability.
At worst the report found minor issues with the service, and after 5 days of scrutiny did not find any serious issues.
Speaking directly to our patients – we do not believe our services are perfect – and indeed accept that improvements are necessary in some areas.
We continuously look to improve our services.
The last two years have been difficult for everyone and as we collectively return to more normal life, we will all look back on this time as one that placed stress on us all.
Services across the whole NHS have been impacted – Our service was forced to change – and this change did impact patients in ways that were (and continue to be) out of our control.
The recent announcement that the NHS waiting lists will begin to fall in 2025 is evidence that the whole NHS has been impacted.
We therefore ask patients to be fully reassured that the governance and management of the service has not changed since being rated Good and Outstanding and patient services – previously impacted by COVID restrictions – will be delivered alongside the national Covid
Recovery plan in a way that always prioritises the needs of the most vulnerable patients in our care in a Safe, Caring, Responsive way.
DR MUTTUCUMARU