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Wednesbury medical centre told to improve safety

A medical centre with more than 3,000 patients has been told it needs to improve after the safety of its service was called into question by the health watchdog.

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Crankhall Lane Medical Centre, on Crankhall Lane, Friar Park, Wednesbury, has been rated as 'requires improvement' in two out of five areas by inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Inspectors found that the practice's safety and leadership both needed to improve. At the time of the CQC visit, the practice had 3,700 patients.

According to a report on the inspection in November, the CQC found that risk assessments for Legionella disease, fires and medicine management were not addressed properly.

  • Click here to read the full CQC report

Inspectors also found that the practice did not fully ensure emergency medicines were available for use in the event of a patient seizure.

The report also stated that the centre needed to ensure all patients on high risk medicines are given regular blood checks.

Legal requirements were also not being met, according to the health watchdog's report. And it was found that no fire risk assessment update had taken place since 2014, and there were no data sheets for the control of medicines.

Although risks to patients who used services were assessed, the systems and processes to address these risks were not implemented well enough to ensure patients were kept safe, the report added.

"For example, risk assessments for Legionella, not updating fire risk assessments annually, medicine management and medicines used in the event of an emergency," it said.

On a positive note, the report added: "Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment."

The CQC found staff felt supported by management and patients said that they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect. Sajeda Asghar, practice manager at the medical centre, said: "Following our recent CQC visit, the practice is happy with the outcome of the inspection.

"The areas of concern highlighted are simple fixes and measures have already been put in place. Our feedback from the patient survey was overwhelmingly positive of the service that we provide.

"The practice is confident of receiving an overall good rating on its next inspection."

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