Newham fifth worst place to see a GP in the capital

Newham is one of the worst areas in London to see a GP, a study out today shows.

According to the Health Service Journal - which looked at 6,476 out of a possible 7,700 inspection reports in its national analysis - 28.6 per cent of surgeries in the borough are rated inadequate or requires improvement - the two lowest ratings - by watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The borough is the fifth worst in the capital behind Havering - with 48pc of surgeries getting the bottom rankings - and Barking and Dagenham where just over a third of practices received the same rating.

But outside the capital 46pc of surgeries in England got a top rating of outstanding.

In response Newham health bosses identified a growing, diverse population as a challenge and said they work closely with GPs to tackle challenges.

An NHS spokewoman from Newham Clinical Commissioning Group said: “Our priority is to ensure all our residents have access to consistent, high quality care.”

She added: “Our aspiration is for all our practices to achieve a ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ rating. However, we know this is an area that still needs improvement.”

She described steps health bosses have taken to improve the situation including regular surgery visits, training and the use of technology.

“We also work closely with NHS England and the CQC to identify concerns quickly and support practices to implement local actions to address concerns.

“We are also supporting GPs to deliver care at evenings and weekends and putting in place teams of skilled professionals at practices to ensure patients can access the care they need, when they need it,” she added.

According to Newham CCG 71pc of the surgeries visited between September 2015 and March 15 have been rated “good” or “outstanding”.

“We will continue to work with all practices rated as “inadequate” or “requires improvement” to resolve the issues identified and deliver improved care for patients,” she said.