GP accused the bills of unpaid and leaving patients in danger

For months, employees of Brooke Medical Center have been forced to conduct intimate exams in the cold without warm or hot water.

Health workers say that this is just an example of how unpaid bills and lack of employees have affected patients in three GP practices in North Committees, and have accused fellow owners in danger.

Dr. Jalil Ahmed and Dr. GP services run by Jonathan Elinson have recently criticized in South Wales, and are the pair Set to resign from five surgery thereClaiming contracts is rejected.

A spokesperson of Eharle Street, who provides remote management assistance to partners, stated that they were “committed to distributing the highest standards of care” and described as the allegations “hearing, fuel by disgruntled pre-employees” Did.

Dr. Ahmed and Dr. Alinson, both senior officers of Ehrule Street, have NHS contracts for 24 GP practices in England and Wales.

They include Brooke Medical Center (Brook), Rushden Medical Center (Rushden) and County Surgery (County) in Northamptonshire, which have more than 20,000 patients simultaneously and receive £ 3.5M in funding from the Integrated Care Board (ICB).

The BBC has spoken to eight existing or former health workers in three surgery, all of whom have asked not to identify.

Many people said that “frequent unpaid invoice” has led to a lack of medical equipment such as Speculum, Emergency Adrenaline, ECG patch, forceps and gloves, which he claimed that some appointments were canceled.

The BBC has seen internal emails that support most of the allegations.

It is understood that a medical supply company “stop” on the accounts of GP partners twice as the amount of overdue invoice is more than £ 50,000.

A former Rushaden employee said that in the last summer for several months, no butterfly kit was available to injections on children or people with delicate veins “So patients were hurt with big needles”.

Members of Brooke’s staff stated that the boiler was broken for more than a year, leaving with heating or warm water.

A former worker said, “Everyone was in scarves and gloves, and we were struggling to weigh children in a weighing or severe cold,” a former worker said, “if we use fan heaters. So Electrics will travel during consultation. “

“We had to clean up with Sanitiser, and I couldn’t open the dressing pack because my hands were very numb,” another said.

The boiler was replaced last month.

The BBC has seen various overdue challans addressed to County since September, requesting immediate payment of £ 4,500 in a letter from HMRC, a letter from a loan collection agency and a fire security company £ 460 K. There is a citizen claim for.

Former employees claimed that there was a profitable surgery before being handled in County 2020.

One of the people who spoke to the BBC said: “It is not understood that doctors were not being replaced and the hours of nurses were cut later – we became dependent on the locomotor, and nothing came back They were outstanding money.

Since the new management, the number of permanent GP in the Northamptonshire practices has decreased by seven.

An employee said, “I think what could happen.” “People are being threatened and if things do not change then people will die in this winter.”

Former Brook’s staff stated that in recent months there were no qualified nurses to provide injections for prostate cancer patients or dressing on ulcerated legs; No asthma nurse; No nurse is having blood and there is no secretary for a year.

“The children were missing their vaccines because we could not fit them, and it was heartbreaking to worry Mams.”

“It was just beating his head against a brick wall,” said another worker. “We were being threatened daily (by patients) and one of us was crying.”

Many patients told the BBC that they were forced to register with a new surgery as it was “near impossible” to get an appointment.

• A Brooke’s patient Lourdes said that his 29 -week -old daughter, still did not get 16 weeks vaccination due to lack of employees.
• Vosecich, a patient from Rushaden, said he was forced to drive for surgery and begs to examine a lump on his back with a doctor.

James Hill, a councilor, who represents Acon Brooke at the Conservative-controlled West Northamptonshire Council, said: “It is shocking, its position, and I think the necessary changes are needed before something terrible.”

In a 28-hit statement to the BBC on behalf of GP partners, Sam Claire, Business Operations Manager of Ehrule Street, said that patient safety was his “top priority”.

He said that the amount was “a working loan” and “within general parameters” due to a medical supply company in all practices.

Responding to allegations about each practice, he said:

• “Since managing, we have committed to convert practice into the center of excellence”. This was “valid” in November 2022 when CQC upgrade its rating to “good” from “good” to “good”.
• Practice “10 quotes to repair boilers” but “two contractors failed to participate as scheduled”. ICB “confirmed that there were no issues of infection control using cold tap water” and space heaters were provided.
• Mr. Claire said that some “challan was delayed due to infection in a new system” but “I was ignorant of examples when not receiving medical supply”
• He said that a new nurse was in training to examine health status for a long time and nurses from other sites were used to maintain full cover, which weekly 345 immediate and pre-pre-book appointments Provides
• He said that after the departure of the outgoing nurse was a period of one week in October, during which childhood vaccination was not booked.
• He said that in 2022-23, the number of complaints decreased from 21 to just three in the last ten months.

• Mr. Claire said that there was no report of the butterfly needles being unavailable and such a situation would have been addressed immediately.
• He said that his own current patient survey suggested that 65% of the patients would suggest the practice as “very good” or “good”, and he had implemented the system to increase the patient’s experience, in which the new telephony and one Doctors-on-call systems include
• He said that he made about 540 clinical appointments in a week.

• Mr. Claire said that some challans were not paid due to an “operational issue”, which they were working to solve and emphasized HMRC payment
• He said that Ehrule Street reduced the total nursing hours and “rebuilding the nursing team to improve” overall disabilities “. He said that savings had allowed them to provide more important and regular appointments for patients.