The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has warned that the NHS may fail to spot concerns about patient safety unless it improves its monitoring of out-of-hours GP services.
The CQC’s enquiry, “Take Care Now”, was triggered by the tragic case of David Gray, a patient who was treated by a locum doctor from Germany and died following the administration of 100 mg of diamorphine. The interim enquiry found that although Trusts monitor response times, they do not consistently look at the quality of care. This could mean potential problems and indications of poor care could be missed. Cynthia Bower, CQC’s chief executive, said: “Although we are still in the early stages of our enquiries, we believe this may point towards a national problem. We are therefore encouraging PCTs across the country to scrutinise in more detail the out-of-hours services they commission. GP out-of-hours services provide vital care to people outside of normal surgery hours. As commissioners of these services, PCTs need to ensure people receive safe, quality care around the clock.”
