Caretakers to remain in charge at Northampton and Earls Barton GP surgeries after takeover abandoned

Caretakers will remain in charge at two Northamptonshire GP surgeries after a planned takeover was cancelled.

Earls Barton Medical Centre and Penvale Medical Centre in East Hunsbury, which had a combined total of 9,500 patients, were taken over by Care Quality Commission (CQC) appointed caretakers in July last year after the GP in charge of the surgeries was removed following a catalogue of failings.

The appointed caretaker is Albany House, which runs a surgery in Wellingborough and the village surgery in Wollaston.

In November last year, it was confirmed that a long-term provider had been selected to take over the running of the Earls Barton and East Hunsbury surgeries.

However, that takeover has now been abandoned by the Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board (ICB) due to a number of “operational issues”. This means the caretaker will be in position until at least September this year while a new long-term provider is found.

In a statement posted on the surgeries’ website, bosses said: “In November, we wrote to advise you that following a procurement exercise a long-term provider had been selected for Earls Barton and Penvale Park Medical Centre.

“Unfortunately, due to a number of operational issues that were identified during the procurement process which we need to address before any alternative arrangements are put in place, Northamptonshire ICB has taken the difficult decision to abandon this procurement.

“We would like to reassure you that Albany House, the caretaker practice, will remain in place until September 30, 2023, while we work through alternative arrangements, and you will still be able to access the full range of General Practice services you normally would with services being delivered from the same locations.

“We apologise to patients for any inconvenience or concern this may cause. Over the next few months, we will be working to find an alternative solution and will write out to you again once we have an update.”

What happened at the surgeries?

Magistrates ruled on July 9, 2022, that Earls Barton Medical Centre, which also runs Penvale Park surgery, should have its registration cancelled because they believed "patients were put at risk as a result of poor supervision, administration and training".

Dr Muhammed Azizullah, senior manager, also had his registration cancelled at the hearing in Northampton.

Inspectors from the CQC found serious failings at the surgery during an unannounced visit in April 2022.

Out of nine major issues raised with the surgery following that inspection, only two have been fully addressed.

That led to the CQC taking the highly unusual step of seeking a civil order cancelling both Dr Muhammed Azizullah's registration and the registration of Earls Barton Medical Centre under section 30(1) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Presiding justice Neil Sheppard said the bench had accepted the CQC's view that there would be a serious risk to life, health or well-being if the practice was allowed to continue.

The ruling does not affect Dr Azizullah's fitness to work as a GP but he is not allowed to be the registered manager at either Earls Barton or Penvale Park.

At the time it was promised that both surgeries would remain open and patients would "continue to have access to core clinical services”.