Lincoln inadequate GP surgery left blood results for days

Richmond Medical Centre has been rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission

A GP practice where some abnormal blood results were not reviewed quickly enough has been put in special measures by the health watchdog.

Emergency equipment at Richmond Medical Centre in North Hykeham, near Lincoln, also had no instructions in English, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said.

Greg Reilly from the CQC said the inspectors' findings were "concerning".

The medical centre said "significant changes" had been made since the inspection.

Staff at the practice told inspectors in May 2023 that equipment regularly went missing from the emergency trollies.

They also said GPs "weren't visible" and this was "having an impact on people's care".

'Warning notice'

The inspectors found the surgery did not review blood tests on the day the results arrived, meaning there were 32 outstanding abnormal results awaiting action after three days of being received.

There were "127 patients with a potential undiagnosed long term condition following blood results," according to the report.

Patients were also unable to get through to the practice "in a timely manner" by telephone.

Mr Reilly said: "We've used our enforcement powers and issued a warning notice which highlight the areas we need to see significant and immediate improvements.

"In the meantime, we'll continue to monitor this service, including through further inspections, to make sure people are receiving the safe care they deserve, and won't hesitate to take further action if needed."

'Kindness and respect'

But inspectors said staff at the surgery "treated patients with kindness, respect and compassion and helped patients to be involved in decisions about care".

A spokesperson for the practice said the management of blood test results had been changed and staff training had taken place since the inspection.

"We feel that the report published today no longer reflects our current position and we are working closely with the CQC in order to be re-inspected as soon as possible," they said.

"As a medical centre we have faced a number of challenges over the past 12 months, and we accept that at the time of the inspection, some of our processes were not to a standard we all aspire to."