Watchdog puts new Sussex GP practice into special measures

Crawley Down Health Centre is one of four surgeries run by Modality Mid Sussex

A GP practice with surgeries in West Sussex has been placed into special measures after an inspection.

Modality Mid Sussex, which has sites in Crawley, Burgess Hill and two in East Grinstead, was created by the merger of four existing practices.

The Care Quality Commission's (CQC) overall rating for the practice was inadequate.

Modality Mid Sussex said it planned to spend the next six months transforming the practice.

The inspection was carried out because the practice was newly registered and after concerns were raised over patients' access to services.

It was rated inadequate for being safe, responsive, and well-led.

The practice was rated as requires improvement for being effective, and good for caring.

'Progress in key areas'

Neil Cox, CQC deputy director of operations in the south, said:  "On the day appointments were often filled by mid-morning and reception staff were then asked to redirect people to local accident and emergency departments, community pharmacies and the local walk-in minor injuries unit or contact NHS 111.

"We found some people identified as having a potential missed diagnosis of diabetes hadn't received follow up blood tests within the required timescale.

"We saw some people diagnosed with asthma and prescribed rescue steroids, had been issued with the wrong dosage and documentation around this wasn't detailed enough."

Dr Sharon Pruden, senior partner at Modality Mid Sussex said: "We have an improvement plan in place, and we are already making progress in key areas such as numbers of appointments offered and recruitment.

"We are confident the improvements underway will have a positive impact on patient experience and areas highlighted will be rectified as soon as possible."

Amy Galea, chief primary care officer at NHS Sussex, said: "We have been working with the team at Modality Mid Sussex for several months to understand the areas of improvement raised by patients earlier this year and to support the measures the practice team identified to address them."

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