A Dagenham doctors surgery “requires improvement”, according to the latest report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

Halbutt Street Surgery, also known as Drs B B Quansah and A Adedeji Practice, has 6763 registered patients and achieved sub-par ratings on the “effective” and “caring” parts of the inspection.

The CQC said: “The majority of patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect. However, not all felt cared for and listened to.”

Sixty-nine per cent said the last GP they spoke to was “good at treating them with care and concern”, compared to the national average of 85 per cent, and local average of 76 per cent.

The report also noted a high level of “exception reporting” in diabetes patients. This is when patients record a blood sugar level that is higher or lower than the expected range.

However, the surgery has already hired a new member of staff to set up review appointments with diabetes patients in the hope of reducing these figures.

The practice has a low uptake for cervical screening, with 72 per cent of eligible women attending compared to 79 per cent locally and 81 per cent nationally, but again, the practice has recently hired a member of staff who offers telephone reminders and contacts patients who miss their screening appointments.

Patients found it difficult to get through to the practice by phone, and a receptionist position is being advertised.

Despite these concerns, the surgery was rated “good” with respect to safety, leadership, and responding to people’s needs, and the report, which was released February 28, noted that there were many examples of good practice, including “an open and transparent approach to safety” and that the fact that information about the services was available and easy to understand.

As a result of the inspection’s findings, the surgery has been advised to make sure that all staff receive safeguarding and basic life support training. The report also suggested that the surgery hold annual infection control audits and make sure more women took part in cervical screening programmes.