THE healthcare watchdog might close a GP surgery on the island after it failed to improve.

Dr Sukumaran and Partners, based at Third Avenue Health Centre, in Third Avenue, Canvey, has been told by the Care Quality Commission it is inadequate in how safe and well-led it is.

It requires improvement in how responsive, effective and caring it is.

The surgery was placed into special measures in January and was re-inspected to see what changes had been implemented.

The report reads: “Insufficient improvements have been made and as such there remains a rating of inadequate.

“Therefore, we are taking action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating the service.

“This will lead to cancelling their registration or to varying the terms of their registration within six months if they do not improve.

“The service will be kept under review and if needed could be escalated to urgent enforcement action.

“Where necessary, another inspection will be conducted within six months, and if there is not enough improvement we will move to close the service by adopting our proposal to vary the provider’s registration to remove this location or cancel the provider’s registration.”

The report continues that there was no clear leadership structure and some staff did not feel supported by management.

It notes that the surgery had “done little” to address that patient outcomes were low compared to the national average.

However, it said that patients responding to the CQC’s comment cards were mostly positive about the practice.

The practice, which has 7,300 patients, declined to comment on the report.

Tricia D’Orsi, chief nurse at NHS Castle Point and Rochford CCG, said the CCG will continue to work with the practice.

She added: “Making sure patients receive safe and high-quality services is of utmost importance to us, so it is disappointing that the improvements made by the practice have not been enough to prevent this action.”