Balham GP surgery on the brink of closure after ‘inadequate’ rating

By Charlotte Lillywhite, Local Democracy Reporter

A GP surgery where staff were overheard being rude to patients is facing closure after a second damning report by the care watchdog.

Trinity Medical Centre in Balham High Road, Balham, has been given the worst possible rating – “inadequate” – for a second time by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The surgery has about 8,100 patients.

The watchdog found a “staffing crisis” at the practice, with 10 fewer staff than at the previous inspection in October 2021, “unacceptable” waiting times and patients at risk of harm.

The surgery was already under special measures after being rated “inadequate” in 2021. The latest inspection in June and July found concerns previously raised had not been addressed, with five rules broken.

The surgery has been given multiple warning notices and the CQC could shut it down if immediate improvements are not made.

The report said one staff member repeatedly told a patient during a telephone conversation to stop talking because they needed to get on with their work.

Another patient said reception staff could be very loud and shout out confidential information, and that they got annoyed if patients asked too many questions.

Patients were also unhappy with GP appointment times and the type of appointments they were offered. Inspectors were told the telephone line was faulty and prevented patients from accessing the surgery.

Patients on high-risk medicines were said to be at risk of harm due to a lack of monitoring. Inspectors also found full bin bags piled on top of each other, up to about 1.8 metres high, in the clinical waste room.

Staff said there were not enough doctors, nurses, receptionists, administrators or managers.

The report said: “Due to this staff felt stressed working at the practice. At the last inspection there had been 33 staff members. At this inspection there were 23 staff members. Staff told us that they regularly had to work excessive hours due to shortages on a weekly basis.”

Inspectors were told some staff had left because of “the negative culture and poor management”, while others said the work was too stressful.

Inspectors saw an email sent to all staff by management which blamed them for the previous inspection findings and told them that their jobs were at stake due to their comments to the CQC and “alleged failings” and that they could be fired within four weeks.

A petition to “save” the surgery, created before the latest report was published, has already been signed by more than 1,000 people and says it was “hit by the Covid pandemic like a tsunami”.

A spokeswoman for the NHS in South West London said: “It’s extremely important that people in Wandsworth receive high-quality GP services.

“Should the practice’s registration be removed, the local NHS has plans in place to ensure all registered patients would continue to have access to GP services.”

Trinity Medical Centre has been contacted for comment.

Pictured top: Trinity Medical Centre (Picture: Charlotte Lillywhite)