A Failsworth GP surgery has been told it must improve by inspectors.

Medlock Medical Practice, based at the Keppel Building, Failsworth Health Centre, was given an overall rating of "requires improvement" by regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC), which rates GPs, care homes, and hospitals.

The practice is part of Beacon GP Care, a not-for-profit social enterprise run by Dr Zahid Chauhan, the current deputy mayor.

It is registered at Royton Medical Centre on Chapel Street, which also recently received a "requires improvement" rating.

ALSO READ: Royton Medical Centre 'requires improvement', the CQC rules.

In its report, published earlier this month, the CQC said it found two breaches of regulations while inspecting Medlock Medical Practice.

Broken down in to categories, the practice was told it "requires improvement" in being safe, responsive, and well-led, but was "good" in being effective and caring.

Inspectors found that complaints had not been used to improve the quality of care, and leaders at the practice could not demonstrate they had the capacity to deliver high quality care.

Inspectors said they saw examples of policies being inaccurate and not being followed, with examples of systems and processes that were not effective.

In order to comply with regulations, inspectors said the practice must ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients, and establish systems to ensure good governance.

Inspectors found medicine reviews which had been completed without patient involvement, and without all repeat medicines being reviewed.

Additionally, they found the system for learning and making improvements were not effective.

At the inspection, the practice told inspectors that all their childhood vaccination rates were at 100 per cent – though figures show that all are below 80 per cent uptake – with just 68.8 per cent of children aged five who had received two doses of the MMR vaccine.

In response to the report, a spokesperson at Medlock Medical Practice said: “We welcome the findings of the Care Quality Commission’s report into the practice as constructive criticism on which to build on and learn from.

“Furthermore, we recognise it as typical of a national picture of General Practice at a place of post-pandemic and scarce resource, where keeping up with changing processes has not always been easy. 

“It was particularly pleasing that the CQC saw what we do every day – a staff who in trying circumstances, are kind and professional in the care they administer with a particular concern for the vulnerable.

“The inspectors also noted our flexibility and availability in trying to meet the increasing demand from patients, matching appointments to windows in their busy lives. 

“Constructive feedback is worthless unless acted upon, and we can assure the community that issues raised in the CQC report have already been acted upon and addressed.

“We look forward to welcoming the CQC back in the near future so that they can see the improvements we have made. 

“Meanwhile, regardless of the increasing pressures placed upon us and the lack of resource spent on primary care, Medlock Medical Practice will continue to deliver the robust, inclusive and most importantly compassionate, healthcare the CQC inspectors have celebrated.”