A HEALTH watchdog said the findings of a damning report into a GP practice was a “disheartening indictment” on a service people relied on to make them better.

Brighton and Hove Healthwatch said it would be seeking assurances other GP practices in the city were not experiencing the same problems faced by Goodwood Court in Hove.

A report published by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) revealed the practice had been closed because it was at “serious risk” of harming people and was failing in key five areas, including safety, effectiveness and responsiveness.

While many patients thought the service they directly received from the doctor or nurse was caring, people had to wait an unacceptably long time for appointments.

This was because not enough GPs were available.

Healthwatch said it had already raised our concerns about GP shortages in the city, saying many doctors were nearing retirement and not being replaced.

It said: “What was evident in the CQC report was that a vision, leadership and systems were not in place to ensure patients were safe.

“Everything from managing medications, record keeping and the provision of repeat prescriptions, to ensuring staff were professionally vetted and police checks were carried out, were inadequate. A picture was painted of a surgery overwhelmed.

“These basic systems are the things that patients do not necessarily see but have the right to expect to be in place when they use the service.

“Nationally and locally, general practice is in turmoil, with many new expectations being laid on them. With staff turnover and shortages, systems and standards are essential to give patients and the public confidence in the service.”

Patients at Goodwood have now been transferred to the Charter Medical Centre in Davigdor Road.

However the contract only runs until April and Healthwatch says it is concerned some patients may have to move again.

Chairwoman Frances McCabe said: “Patients have the right to expect caring and safe services from their GPs.

“If standards are not met, this is a breach of the trust that patients have a right to expect in their surgery.

“Shortages of GPs seem to have been a key issue in the Goodwood Medical Centre, and Healthwatch Brighton and Hove continues to need assurance that other surgeries are not facing similar problems.”

The watchdog is planning to visit the Charter Medical Centre in September to find out more about the impact of the changes.