DOCTORS’ surgeries in Basingstoke and Deane have vowed to continue to show improvements despite poor inspection ratings from the Care Quality Commission (CQC.)

The call for a rise in standards comes after five of the borough’s GP and doctors’ surgeries were rated “requires improvements” by the healthcare watchdog.

Most recently the Hackwood Partnership, in Essex Road, and Crown Heights Medical Centre, in Alencon Link, were both given the rating.

However, despite the findings of the inspectors, Crown Heights has moved out of special measures with more than 38,000 patients registered between the two practices, both achieved “good” ratings in three of the five criteria of their CQC inspections.

The two recently inspected practices join the list of five GPs in the borough which "require improvements".

Other surgeries which inspectors say need to improve standards are The Bermuda Practice Partnership, Rooksdown Practice and The Beggarwood Surgery. 

In the Hackwood Partnership’s first CQC inspection, which took place in September, it was deemed to be ‘requires improvement’ in patient safety and how well it is led.

The report noted that there were areas of the practice that were not clean.

It said: “We observed the premises to be dusty in places and carpets in some areas were worn and stained.

“The practice had a cleaning contract with an external provider. They identified that the level of cleaning was not sufficient and changed providers.

“Despite regular meetings with the new provider to address the standard of cleaning required it remained an issue for the practice.”

Another area of concern to the CQC was the lack of a hearing loop available for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, though there was only one patient on record who was profoundly deaf.

The staff were praised in the CQC’s report.

It said: “Members of staff were courteous and very helpful to patients and treated them with dignity and respect.”

As previously reported in The Gazette, Crown Heights was placed into special measures after it was criticised for not being able to keep up with demand.

The latest inspection was carried out on November 29 and concluded: “The practice had a clear vision and strategy to deliver high-quality care and promote good outcomes for patients.

“Staff were clear about the vision and their responsibilities in relation to this.”

Management at Crown Heights said the only failing in the report were minor things which the CQC had already set out actions to change.

A spokesman from Crown Heights said: “The Crown Heights Partnership is delighted that, following a recent CQC re-inspection, the surgery has been taken out of special measures.

“Two areas were identified by the CQC as requiring improvement during our November inspection, namely the recording of fridge temperatures on a daily rather than weekly basis and the number of patients who had not responded to three invitations to attend a review but had not then been followed up further by the surgery.

“We accept their findings in full and have implemented change to address both of these issues.”

The Hackwood Partnership had not commented as the Gazette went to press.