Out-of-hours GP service inquiry

An inquiry has begun into a company providing out-of-hours NHS care after the death of a Cambridgeshire man who was treated by a German locum doctor.

Dr Daniel Ubani, who was supplied by Take Care Now, accidentally gave David Gray 10 times too much painkiller.

Dr Ubani got a nine-month suspended sentence in Germany for negligence over the death of Mr Gray, 70, in 2008.

The Care Quality Commission said it would "rigorously" identify where things had gone wrong.

'Robust improvements'

The commission said it was looking at the management of calls and the response to them, staffing arrangements and the supply of medicines.

Christine Braithwaite, head of investigations and enforcement at the commission, said: "We have clear reasons to review where patients have suffered harm, and will rigorously identify where things went wrong.

"We need to make sure that both Take Care Now and the PCTs that commission its services have identified the problems, learnt lessons from them and made robust improvements as a result.

"Our number one concern is the safety of patients, and we will be looking closely at the contributory factors to the care provided in specific cases, as well as thoroughly examining the current systems in place.

"If we find areas of concern that require immediate attention, we will not hesitate to use our powers to make sure the safety of patients is not compromised."

The commission wants to conduct telephone interviews with people who have used services provided by Take Care Now, and to speak to current and former staff at the company.

Mr Gray's son Stuart, a GP from Kidderminster in Worcestershire has said that the "risks" of out-of-hours services should be made public.

Take Care Now provides cover for Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Worcestershire and parts of Essex and Norfolk.

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