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Failures at GP surgery likened to 'coach crash'

Ian DuncanLocal Democracy Reporting Service
Castlegate and Derwent Surgery The Castlegate and Derwent Surgery site. It is a modern-looking building and the entrance has glass doors. A sign to the right-hand side of the doors directs visitors to different departments. A young tree planted next to the sign.Castlegate and Derwent Surgery
Castlegate and Derwent GP Surgery has been heavily criticised by inspectors over the past three years

A GP has likened the scale of mismanagement at a surgery in special measures to a "coach crash".

Castlegate and Derwent GP Surgery, in Cockermouth, was rated inadequate by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection in February.

Dr Simon Desert admitted there had been a "serious failure of governance" with an "inward-looking and adversarial" culture, but he hoped to get it "back on the road".

Speaking at Cumberland Council's health overview and scrutiny committee on Thursday, he said a police financial malpractice investigation remained ongoing.

Inspectors said they found breaches of regulations for safe care and treatment, with more than 1,000 reminders to arrange appointments discovered in the surgery's diary.

Desert told committee members: "This has been a coach crash."

He said the surgery had faced hardship since a move into a new building, while alleged financial misconduct identified in 2023 was "reflecting a wider breakdown in probity and governance".

Dr Simon Desert addresses members of Cumberland Council's health overview and scrutiny committee. In total, about eight people are sitting at wooden desks arranged in a rectangle shape. Each member has a microphone in front of them.
Dr Simon Desert (left) gave committee members an update on the surgery's turnaround plans

Desert acknowledged there were also safety concerns, having last year told a coroner's court the practice was believed to be "unsafe and ungoverned".

"I wish I could change everything," he told councillors, adding: "I wish I could turn the clock back.

"I think we are going to get this back on the road."

Three healthcare providers were being assessed, he said, ahead of a merger announcement with the preferred organisation in the coming weeks.

David Ross, from the CQC, told the committee the surgery was rated good until September 2019, but between April 2023 and February 2026 it had worsened to inadequate.

'Work in progress'

Councillor John Mallinson warned the scale of the problems "should have been a fire bell in the night".

According to Desert, a surge in demand coincided with a number of doctors leaving.

Councillor Carni McCarron-Holmes said she had "never heard a story like this" and the situation appeared to be "dire".

She asked whether a financial malpractice investigation by the police had been completed, with Desert replying it was ongoing.

Members agreed the situation was a "work in progress", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

A further update will be given to the committee in November.

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