A GP surgery has been labelled inadequate by a healthcare watchdog after inspectors found a number of serious problems.

A Care Quality Commission inspection found Winstree Medical Practice in Stanway stored out of date medicines and kept some medicines at the wrong temperature.

Inspectors also found more than 240 patients who use repeat medicines were not receiving regular blood tests to monitor the effects of the drugs.

In addition, the inspectors said patients on high risk medicines were not being reviewed effectively to make sure they received the correct dose before being issued with repeat prescriptions, the report said.

It also noted there was no system to make sure patients collected their repeat prescriptions.

On the day of the pre-announced inspection, in August last year, inspectors found there was an eight-day wait for a routine appointment with a GP and seven-day wait for a routine appointment with the nurse.

It said patients are, however, always able to get emergency appointments.

Staff at the surgery - which is run by Dr Abiodun Obisesan - were also praised for being both “respectful” and “considerate” during difficult times of their lives.

The practice was said to be the only practice in Essex to have been recognised as a dementia friendly practice.

The practice was praised for being accessible for patients with dementia, which included the use of visual aids around the practice.

However, in a damning report, inspectors said: “Some policies were incomplete, identified the incorrect lead clinician or were not easy to locate.

“Recruitment checks were not being undertaken consistently and in line with legislation and guidance.

“The practice did not have adequate systems to manage medicines.

“There was a dispensary located at the branch surgery but not all controlled drugs were not being recorded in line with legislation and there was no system to record or investigate near misses.

“Some medicines were stored at the main surgery and a risk assessment had not been carried out for the safe storage of these medicines.

“Room temperatures were not being monitored to ensure these were stored within the recommended range.”

The report continued: “We found out of date medicines in one of the treatment rooms and prescription stationery not being stored in line with national guidance.

“At both the branch and main practice, the temperatures of fridges used for the storage of vaccines were not being monitored and specialist fridges were not being used.

“The system for reviewing patients taking medicines that required monitoring was not effective.

“This included patients on high risk medicines.”

The Gazette attempted to contact the practice four times but no response was received.