CULCHETH Medical Centre has been told to improve by the Care Quality Commission after an inspection found flaws in its systems for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.

The Jackson Avenue practice, which provides services to 12,206 patients, had an announced inspection in May from the health watchdog.

While the caring, effective and responsive aspects of the services were rated as good, the safety of services and whether they were well-led require improvement.

Inspectors rated the practice as requires improvement for providing safe services because the systems for ensuring staff were appropriately authorised to administer medicines to patients and for monitoring uncollected prescriptions were 'not robust'.

The systems for identifying and reviewing children subject to safeguarding concerns and vulnerable adults were also described as 'not robust'.

Inspectors noted the requires improvement rating for providing well-led services was down to 'the systems for managing complaints and significant events did not ensure the learning and actions were fully documented so that they could be shared effectively with staff'.

Moreover, the provider had not notified the CQC of a patient death that may have been related to the regulated activity or how it was provided.

The practice was rated good for providing caring, effective and responsive services because staff reviewed the 'effectiveness and appropriateness' of the care they provided.

Staff were observed dealing with patients with 'kindness and respect' and involved them in decisions about their care.

The practice organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs and inspectors noted how patients could access care and treatment in a 'timely way'.