The CQC Has Told Croydon Urgent Care Centre It Must Improve Or Face Significant Sanctions

Croydon Urgent Care Centre (CUCC) has been warned by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that it must show improvements in the coming weeks.

An inspection report posted online by the CQC shows a number of failings by CUCC that put patients at risk.

One of the biggest problems at the site is a lack of clear signage. Children who arrive at the A&E unit are triaged separately from adults between 08:00 and midnight, but all patients share the same waiting area - something that caused confusion.

There were also multiple issues stemming from the fact that CUCC shared a number of facilities with a local hospital.

A reception area, for example, is split between the two services and patients are given either a red card - denoting that they are waiting for A&E care - or a blue booklet, which indicated they were in the care of the CUCC.

People attending the CUCC were often confused about how this system worked, while one person did not recall being given a card, meaning they were left in limbo and not treated as quickly.

The CQC concluded that administrative staff were not properly supported by management to deliver care and treatment safely - something made worse by a lack of training for new recruits.

"We were concerned that new staff were expected to be able to stream successfully across a range of symptoms with less than half a day’s training in total. We were concerned that the training was not sufficiently robust or adequate for new members of staff who had no experience or prior knowledge of medical symptoms," an excerpt of the CQC report read.

CUCC must now send the CQC a report by February 12th 2014 setting out what action it will take to start meeting standards.

The CQC also sent a letter to NHS England outlining its concerns - something that might force management to make changes quicker than would normally be expected.

Expert Opinion

It is encouraging to see that these inspections are being carried out however the results in this case are worrying. <br/> <br/>“It is important that the public are made aware of this information and they are able to consider their options in terms of their own healthcare. It is essential that every effort is made to review what can be done to improve standards of patient care and safety and increase staffing levels if necessary. <br/> <br/>“We are contacted on a daily basis by patients and families across the country who want answers about poor care they have received and reassurances that lessons will be learned to prevent others suffering in similar circumstances.” <br/> Lisa Jordan - Partner