• High profile GP partnership has practice rated inadequate by the CQC but the group is appealing the decision
  • Hurley Group is led by NHS England primary care director Arvind Madan, who is also listed as partner for the group
  • All Saints Practice in East London criticised for patient access and safety concerns

A GP practice run by the high profile Hurley Group has been placed in special measures by the Care Quality Commission.

The All Saints Practice, in Poplar, east London, was rated inadequate for safety, leadership and how caring it is. It was rated requires improvement for being effective and responsive to people’s needs.

The Hurley Group has lodged an appeal with the CQC against the rating.

The group is a large, multi-site general practice and urgent care GP led provider built up since the mid-nineties by Arvind Madan, NHS England’s director of primary care. Dr Madan has been fundamental in driving NHS England’s GP Forward View and acts as deputy national medical director to Sir Bruce Keogh. It is unclear when Dr Madan stepped down as the Hurley Group’s chief executive. He still works one day a week in general practice.

The GP partnership has 18 locations registered with the CQC, which have now all been rated. The All Saints Practice is the only one rated inadequate. Two locations were rated requires improvement and the rest received a good rating.

A spokeswoman for the group said was “very disappointed by the CQC report for the All Saints Practice and are currently appealing against a number of areas in that report. While we are undertaking the appeal, we continue to be committed to delivering high quality care and have already put an action plan in place to address the areas of concern that are raised within the report.”

The inspection was carried out in November but the report has only just been published. It said the system for managing patient safety alerts was not being adhered to in “reality”. Patients had also told the CQC that “poor continuity of care made it difficult to feel involved in decisions about their care and treatment, as well as finding it difficult to make appointments”. They did say they were treated with “compassion, dignity and respect”.

Professor Ursula Gallagher, deputy chief inspector of general practice at CQC, said: “We are placing All Saints Practice into 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 we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures. The service will be kept under review and if needed could be escalated to urgent enforcement action.”

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