A CCG is paying tens of thousands of pounds for patients to get their health checked after their single-handed GP practice was rated inadequate by the CQC.
NHS Telford and Wrekin CCG took the decision to offer £20 health checks to all of the Hadley Health Centre’s 3,500 patients – potentially adding up to £71,000 – ’to ensure they are getting the care they need’.
NHS England, which was also involved in the decision, said it was not aware of any other instance of patients offered blanket health checks resulting from CQC concerns.
The CCG said patients could have the health check at the practice, based in Telford in Shropshire, or the funding would follow them should they opt to register at another GP practice.
To avoid confusion, the CCG clarified that it was a general check up on patients’ health rather than the NHS Health Checks programme for detecting cardiovascular disease, which the practice in question has been offering.
The CQC report, published in September, said that safety and leadership at the Hadley Health Centre was ‘inadequate’ and inspectors concluded that the practice should be placed in special measures.
It is due for reinspection in six months’ time but the CCG said it has since approved a proposed plan for it to merge with a nearby practice.
A CCG spokesperson said: ‘In response to the concerns raised by the CQC, the CCG took the decision, alongside NHS England, to offer each patient at the practice a robust health check to ensure they are getting the care they need now and in the future.
‘Where patients make the decision to move to another practice, the funding we have allocated for those health checks will follow them on to any new practice.’
The GP practice was approached by Pulse but declined to comment.
