Nexus Health Group: Southwark GPs placed in special measures

Nexus Health Group was created in 2016 through the merger of four GP practices operating at eight sites in SE1, SE17, SE5 and SE15. At the time it was said to be the largest GP practice in the capital.

These surgeries were previously run by the Aylesbury Partnership, Bermondsey & Lansdowne Medical Mission, Princess Street Group Practice and the Walworth Partnership

The Surrey Docks Health Centre in SE16 later joined Nexus, with the patient tally now standing at around 74,000.

When inspectors visited Princess Street in November last year to assess the central functions of Nexus Health Group, they found a litany of problems and speeded up plans to inspect other Nexus sites.

Inspectors found more than 1,000 test results dating back to July 2018 "which had either not been filed or not been viewed and filed". 442 of these results were marked as being abnormal.

Inspectors added: "Of the sample of 30 outstanding results we reviewed we found that five of these results had not had appropriate action taken."

The CQC's report on Nexus was published this week, giving the group the lowest possible score – 'inadequate' – overall.

The only positive rating was in the 'caring' category where inspectors noted that "staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care".

Professor Steve Field, chief inspector of general practice, wrote: "I am placing this service in special measures.

"Services placed in special measures will be inspected again within six months. If insufficient improvements have been made such that there remains a rating of inadequate for any population group, key question or overall, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating the service. This will lead to cancelling their registration or to varying the terms of their registration within six months if they do not improve.

"The service will be kept under review and if needed could be escalated to urgent enforcement action. Where necessary, another inspection will be conducted within a further six months, and if there is not enough improvement we will move to close the service by adopting our proposal to remove this location or cancel the provider's registration."

The full report is available on the CQC website.