CQC to ‘suspend Lister Surgicentre licence’, says local MP

Stevenage MP Stephen McPartland said he welcomed the watchdog’s decision to suspend operator Clinicenta’s licence, although the watchdog is yet to officially confirm this.  

The CQC announced it would take “action” in February in relation to Lister Surgicentre, which is based at the East and North Hertfordshire Trust’s Lister Hospital after its investigators concluded patients’ health and wellfare continue to be put at risk at the facility.

Mr McPartland said: “I welcome the fact that the CQC has begun the formal process and issued a notice to suspend ClinicentaCarillion’s licence to operate at the Surgicentre.

“The deadline for ClinicentaCarillion to appeal against the suspension was Thursday 13th June, if they appealed as I imagine they would, then the Care Quality Commission have to decide if they will issue a Notice of Decision.

“This then gives ClinicentaCarillion another 28 days to appeal to a First Tier Tribunal.”

The CQC’s February inspection report criticised the centre’s “standards of quality and sustainability of management”.

Commissioners also raised concerns about the centre in January following an independent probe into a three deaths at the facility.

A CQC statement to a local newspaper said: “The CQC is taking action with regard to Clinicenta’s Lister Surgicentre, however our legal processes do not allow us to go into further detail at this time.”

A spokeswoman for Clinicenta, which is part part of Carillion, said she was unable to comment on whether or not the CQC had begun the process of suspending the licence.

A company statement said: “We have no reason to believe that we will not be continuing to provide services for patients at Clinicenta for the foreseeable future.

“We can assure the local community that all of our staff at Clinicenta remain committed to delivering the very highest levels of care for patients and that we are working hard to meet the CQC’s requirements.”