A DOCTOR’S surgery in Basingstoke has been told improvements are needed following a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection.

The Beggarwood Surgery, in Broadmere Road was given a “requires improvements” status by the health watchdog after it found that not all its patients were sufficiently cared for or listened to.

Inspectors visited the Integral Medical Holding Group (IMHG) run surgery on May 31, and found that despite a period of instability and a significant change to staff in the past two years, there were signs of improvements.

The report criticised the surgery for not always gaining patient consent.

The report said: “We found that the practice did not routinely obtain written consent for contraceptive procedures, such as longacting contraceptive implants.

“When a patient had this procedure a checklist was completed, but the patient did not sign a consent form, which detailed the risks associated with the procedure.”

The report added: “Systems in place to monitor effectiveness, quality and safety of the practice were not sufficiently embedded and used to mitigate the risk of harm to patients and drive improvement.

“Records related to the running of the practice were not suitably maintained, up to date and accurate.

“Risks to patients were assessed and managed.

“However, reviews and investigations were not thorough enough.”

As previously reported in The Gazette, the practice had been criticised for being overcrowded. IMHG officials admitted the surgery was overcrowded, but this was a national problem not just specific to Beggarwood.

Despite the practice receiving an “requires improvements” status from the CQC, inspectors did praise the surgery for the safe guarding of its patients.

The report added: “The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems, processes and practices in place to keep patients safe and safeguarded from abuse.

“The arrangements for managing medicines, including emergency medicines and vaccines, in the practice kept patients safe (including obtaining, prescribing, recording, handling, storing, security and disposal).”

A spokesman from the IMH Group said: “The CQC inspection highlighted some areas of our practice that required improvement. Fundamentally the inspection found the practice to be safe and caring.

“Following the report we have submitted a practice improvement plan to the CQC, our new management team continues to implement the changes required to meet the necessary standards.”