After a successful campaign by the SuperVigil organisation, British watchdogs have closed a GP surgery in Carlton belonging to a Grace Mugabe protege after concerns were raised to their inspection group.
Mugabe protege Dr Sylvester Nyatsuro owner of The Willows Medical Centre in Church Street, Carlton has been shut down after a visit by the Care Quality Commission last Monday.
Inspectors visited the surgery and took immediate action to close it. A CQC official referred ZimEye.com to a National Health Service statement to the effect (CLICK HERE TO READ THE REPORT).
A source who could not be named told ZimEye.com the CQC visited on the morning of the 6th June and lifted service requirements “that must be implemented by lunch time.”
“They just came on the same day and ordered us to make changes for blood testing on the same day,” they told ZimEye.
Nyatsuro’s surgery will remain closed until further notice during which time the surgery cannot provide any appointments or repeat prescriptions.
A spokesperson for the service told the Nottingham Post publication: “The CQC is taking action to protect the safety welfare of patients at The Willows Medical Centre, on Church Street, Carlton, Nottingham, following an inspection in Monday (6 June).
“Inspectors visited the surgery following concerns that had been raised and, as a result, urgent enforcement action is being taken. CQC is working closely with Nottingham North and East CCG and NHS England to ensure any patients of the surgery have access to GP services.
“While our legal processes do not allow us to go into further detail at this time, we will publish a full report of our findings in due course. Any action CQC takes is open to appeal.”
The findings of the inspection will be published at a later date.
From Monday any patients who need an appointment will need to contact either Peacock Healthcare in Carlton Hill, Park House Medical Centre on Burton Road or Netherfield Centre on Forester Street.
All patients registered with the medical centre will be sent a letter advising of the closure; any patients with appointments this week will be contacted by telephone.
Sam Walters, Chief Officer, Nottingham North and East CCG, which commissions services for patients in the area, said they would do their best to ensure patients can still get appointments.
She said: “As commissioners of GP services in Gedling, our priority is ensuring patients affected by this closure have access to high quality, safe and compassionate care.
“To enable this, we will support Park House, Peacock and Netherfield to ensure they have the capacity and GP provision to meet patients’ needs.
“We are working closely with the CQC and NHS England team to address the issues highlighted in the CQC inspection. If patients wish to discuss any concerns regarding the surgery closure they should contact our Patient Experience Team on 0800 028 3693, selecting option two.”
The centre has been at the centre of protests over the past year as well.
The surgery was visited by protestors after GP Sylvester Nyatsuro was accused of seizing land from Zimbabwean tobacco farmers.
Dr Nyatsuro says the land lawfully belongs to him and his wife, Veronica, and rejects allegations that he has taken it as part of Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe’s controversial redistribution scheme.