A GP surgery was closed by inspectors because patients were at “serious risk of harm”.

A report published today by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) said Goodwood Court in Hove did not have suitably qualified staff to meet patient’s needs, had out of date medicines and a backlog of repeat prescriptions.

Inspectors visited the practice Cromwell Road three times in June and found it was failing in all five key areas – safety, effectiveness, caring, responsiveness and being well-led.

Inspectors applied to magistrates to close the surgery based on their concerns and the practice was shut.

CQC deputy chief inspector of general practice, Ruth Rankine, said: “The way in which Goodwood Court Medical Practice operated failed to meet the fundamental aspects of good care and treatment that people have the right to expect - high quality, compassionate and safe.”

“Enforcement action to close a service is not something that the CQC takes lightly. 

“Where we find that patients are at significant risk, as we did in this case, we have no choice but to work with our partner agencies in order to take swift action to protect the safety and welfare of the public.

“In this instance, given the seriousness of what we found on inspection, we are confident we took the right decision to protect people.

“When necessary, we will use our powers to do what it takes to make sure patients and the public are protected.”

The report from this inspection highlights a number of serious shortfalls that led to CQC using their urgent enforcement powers including:

Patients were found to be at risk of harm because the practice had not provided enough suitably qualified staff to meet their needs.

In some cases the correct recruitment checks on staff had not been undertaken prior to their employment.

During the inspection CQC identified one locum staff member who had treated patients but could not provide evidence they were medically qualified to do so. 

The management of medicines was found to be unsafe and placed patients at serious risk of harm.

Medicines were found to be out date which rendered them unsafe.

This also included requests for prescriptions which had not been processed in a timely manner to ensure patients had access to their medicines.

The closure was subject to appeal by the practice, which was run by doctors Andrew Mark Watts and Abubakr Ali Kambal Osman.

An initial appeal was made but subsequently withdrawn so the order stands and the practice’s registration with the CQC is cancelled.

The practice’s patients have now been transferred to the Charter Medical Centre, in nearby Davigdor Road.