Failing Wolverhampton GP surgery slammed as an 'absolute joke and shambles' by patients put in special measures

Poplars Medical Practice serves thousands of Wolverhampton patients in what inspectors describe as one of the most deprived areas in the country.

But the Low Hill-based surgery, which has just one GP, is badly failing its patients with a series of areas rated 'inadequate'.

GP practices in Wolverhampton have an average of 1,804 patients per GP, but Poplars has 3,320 registered with Dr Gurmit Mahay.

Inspectors found that the surgery in Third Avenue was cold, had no fire risk assessments in place and no arrangements in place to cover if Dr Mahay was absent.

There was no female clinician able to give a cervical smear, leading to a low uptake of 67 per cent for smear tests.

And most staff, including Dr Mahay, had not received safeguarding training for both children and adults.

The Care Quality Commission visited the practice last December, with the highly critical report now released to the public.

It states: "The practice did not keep a list of equipment held to ensure items which required checks for electrical safety and calibration were not missed.

"We found the recruitment policy to be brief and did not contain any details of pre-employment checks required.

"The practice did not have any formal arrangements to cover the GP's absence. The GP told us that they did not take leave but if needed there was a network of local doctors who would support them during annual leave. There were no risk assessments and action plans in place to advise staff what they should do should the GP take unexpected leave, for example due to sickness."

CQC inspectors rated the practice inadequate in three of five categories - safe, effective and well-led. It received a good rating under the caring category, and said it required improvement in the responsive category.

It has been given a list of areas it must improve on before its next inspection, which will take place within the next six months, and information on the CQC website says that if a practice has not improved enough it may be shut down.

Patient reviews of the practice on an NHS website have been critical.

One anonymous patient said: "Place is an absolute joke and shambles. My son has now been waiting in excess of four weeks for chest x-ray results, meanwhile he is still ill.

"We've been promised multiple call backs which never happen and there's still no news about the results. Place needs closing down, their service and standards are disgusting."

Poplars is run from a converted house and has one male GP, an independent prescriber, and a health care assistant. There is also a practice manager and a team of administrative staff.

The practice was unavailable for comment.