Ringmead Medical Group says it has ‘progressed a lot’ in improving its services at Birch Hill after a watchdog said it requires improvement.

The practice merged with the Sandhurst Group practice in July 2023, operating from the Birch Hill site after the Sandhurst site lost a significant number of GPs.

Ringmead had been rated by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as ‘Good’ before the merger but fell to a ‘Requires Improvement’ rating after an inspection found breaches in regulation relating to safe care, treatment and governance systems.

The CQC reported instances of ineffective and inconsistently operated governance processes, as well as a lack in competence in identifying and managing risks.

Some staff members said that their concerns were not addressed in a ‘timely manner’ by senior leadership.

An update was requested from Ringmead’s leadership by Bracknell Forest Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Commission.

Executive partner at Ringmead Dr Anant Sachdev told members on Thursday, October 17: “We managed to a get a rating of two that require improvement and three [that are] good. That was actually a pretty pleasing response given that the visit was five or six months after the merger, when it actually takes at least two years to stabilise such large practices.”

Around 19,000 patients were being served at the Sandhurst site, according to the executive for primary care at the Integrated Care Board, Sarah Bellars.

But Dr Sachdev told councillors: “Even with the knowledge of the failing practice […] we were astounded at what we were going to have to face and manage.”

Dr Sachdev spoke about the difficulties faced by the medical group following the merger, which involved losing managers and more than half of all clinical and non-clinical staff members.

It also experienced ‘fierce’ patient discontentment which resulted in some resignations of staff members.

Dr Sachdev said that the site had ‘fairly stable staffing now’, with five new doctors, three new nurses and three more health care assistants.

Better administrative and clinical governance systems have also been put in place, according to the GP.

90 per cent of staff have received training and waiting times for repeat prescriptions has reduced from two weeks to three to five working days.

Councillor Michael Forster said that he had received ‘significant feedback from many residents about their concerns’ which he wanted to speak with Ringmead about further.

It was agreed that public communication would continue to take place between the medical group and Bracknell Forest Council as well as MP Peter Swallow.