A DAMNING report has revealed serious and potentially fatal failures at a medical centre.

The Shanti Medical Centre, in Daubhill, presented a list of more than 28 serious incidents over 12 months to Care Quality Commission inspectors, who say they 'revealed serious failures in administrative process or clinical judgement and included one error with the potential for serious or even fatal reaction by two patients'.

They added that there was further evidence that other incidents had occurred but had not been consistently investigated or documented.

The St Helens Road surgery has now been placed into special measures by the healthcare watchdog, which said safety 'was not a sufficient priority' at the service.

The GP practice was rated 'inadequate' by the CQC and could face enforcement action — such as the cancelling of its registration — if improvements are not made within six months.

Last year, NHS Bolton CCG served a notice on the practice for breaching its contract after patients complained that it was not opening on time.

A CQC report published last week, following an inspection in November, said: "The registered persons had not done all that was reasonably practicable to mitigate risks to the health and safety of service users receiving care and treatment.

"In particular there was no formal review, discussion and learning from significant incidents to ensure that any errors did not reoccur.

"Not all of the people providing care and treatment had the qualifications, competence, skills and experience to

do so safely. In particular, with regard to clinical and reception staff who were working outside their competencies and had not received appropriate training.

"The premises being used to care for and treat service users was not being used in a safe way. In particular there was no regular health and safety checks including fire, gas and electrical safety.

"There was no proper and safe management of medicines. In particular with regard to the way prescriptions were issued and authorised.

"There was no assessment of the risk of, and preventing, detecting and controlling the spread of, infections, including those that are health care associated. In particular there was no overseen management of infection control and staff had not been trained appropriately."

The practice, which has three GPs, has a contract to provide medical services for approximately 6,700 people in Daubhill.

A spokesman for the Shanti Medical Centre said: "These were past problems involving staff who were not here regularly.

"We are trying very hard to sort it out and I don't think that will be a big problem for us.

"This used to be one of the best practices in Bolton and things should be fine again, but I can't comment any more as I haven't seen the full report."