An inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) this week found that 5
GP practices in Medway run by DMC Healthcare were not up to standard due
to lack of clinical leadership, and exposed patients to the risk of harm.

DMC Healthcare provides services for St Mary’s Island Surgery, as well as the
branch surgeries of Balmoral Healthy Living Centre, Twydall Branch Surgery,
the Pentagon Centre and the Sunlight Centre Surgery. The latest
investigation subsequently means that DMC Healthcare can no longer see
patients at these sites.

Labour raised concerns about the healthcare provider earlier this year after
the CQC rated the surgeries ‘Inadequate’, putting the surgeries into special
measures. Since then the situation has worsened considerably, with the
closure of three other DMC run practices only last month.

Medway Labour’s Health Spokesperson, Cllr Teresa Murray recently wrote
to the CCG to express concerns regarding communication on the CQC
closure as well as the poor monitoring of the DMC services.

“It is deeply concerning to hear that a further five DMC Healthcare GP
Surgeries have been put into special measures. This not only highlights the
utter breakdown of services provided by DMC, but also the disgraceful way
by which patients who have experienced poor care have been ignored. The
new closures leave 30000 people in Medway unable to access a face to face
GP appointment until next week at the earliest.

“Following my letter last month, I am still yet to receive an answer as to why
CCG continued to commission DMC services, and today’s announcement
simply emphasises the importance of these answers.

“For too long, DMC have provided inadequate care to communities in
Medway. This is always unacceptable but even more extraordinary in the
midst of the worst public health incident in decades.

“There have been over 1,000 cases of Covid-19 reported in Medway –
complacency in healthcare and contempt to those who raise concerns is
nothing short of scandalous.”