Branston GP surgery placed in special measures

A GP surgery has been rated as inadequate and put into special measures by health inspectors.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) found Branston Surgery, near Lincoln, was failing in a number of areas, including patient safety and emergency care.

In one instance, a GP prescribed the wrong medication for a child with breathing problems, a report said.

Branston Surgery said it was working hard to address the issues raised.

The surgery was inspected on 9 November, with a report released last week.

It found that not all staff had been trained how to respond in emergencies, meaning an increased risk of poor outcomes for patients.

The report also raised concerns as to whether some patients had been warned about the potentially serious side affects of their medication, including heart problems and kidney damage.

It was also found that four of the five records reviewed of female patients of child bearing age showed they had not been advised the medication they were taking increased the risk of birth defects, inspectors said.

Among other findings inspectors said appropriate standards of cleanliness and hygiene were not always met and background checks on staff were not always carried out.

A spokesperson for the practice said: "Since the inspection took place, the newly incoming GP Partnership and Leadership Team have worked hard on addressing the concerns highlighted in the report.

"Further information is expected to be made public by CQC in due course surrounding some of the positive changes that have been made recently."

NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) said it was working closely with Branston Surgery to address the areas noted in the report.

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