Francis Road Medical Centre Leyton gets lowest CQC rating

Francis Road Medical Centre received the lowest possible rating in CQC's report, after concerning findings regarding the centre's handling of patients and staff.

The practice provides NHS primary care services to around 7,160 patients living in Leyton.

CQC's report was published on February 1 after the health and social care regulator carried out two inspections on June 13 and June 20 last year.

The inspections raised several serious concerns, including a number of staff with outdated or no Disclosure and Barring Services checks. 

CQC gave the practice the lowest possible rating (Image: Google Maps)

The report stated the surgery "had not taken all appropriate steps to ensure sufficient safety checks were carried out during recruitment". 

During the inspections, a receptionist was found to not have a DBS check, a new GP who joined the practice in 2022 was found to have had their last check done in 2016, and a member of staff who had a standard check lacked a certificate from the DBS service. 

CQC also flagged child safeguarding levels held by some staff as non-compliant with national guidance.

Training records showed inspectors that three GPs, including the lead GP, had no safeguarding training records to show.

The centre was also found to have mishandled the safeguarding of patients who are victims of female genital mutilation (FGM). 

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CQC found two patients at the practice who were incorrectly placed on the adult safeguarding register as opposed to the vulnerable patient list. 

In line with the Serious Crime Act, all GP practices are required to report known cases of FGM and submit this data and whilst the centre claimed this had been done and that all data was up to date, they were unable to provide evidence to support this.

Clinical members of staff also admitted to inspectors that they were not aware of the FGM patients in the practice.

Francis Road Medical Centre is now in special measures and will be inspected again within six months. 

If on the next inspection improvements based on the feedback are found to be insufficient, the centre will be forced to stop operating and have its registration cancelled.

The Guardian Series contacted Francis Road Medical Centre for comment, but did not receive a response. 

You can read the full report here.