Out-of-hours GP contract is ended

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The out-of-hours GP service criticised after a patient's death, has had its Cambridgeshire contract terminated.

NHS Cambridgeshire said it had been monitoring the safety and performance of Take Care Now (TCN) since the death of 70-year-old David Gray in 2008.

He was prescribed 10 times too much painkiller by a German locum.

NHS Cambridgeshire said it had become concerned about TCN's overall performance and unfilled shifts. TCN will not contest the decision.

The NHS Cambridgeshire contract covers East Cambridgeshire and Fenland and will end on 1 December.

TCN also has contracts with Great Yarmouth and Waveney, Essex, Suffolk and Worcestershire - which are unaffected by Cambridgeshire's decision.

'Dissatisfied with progress'

Dr Daniel Ubani, who was supplied by TCN, accidentally gave Mr Gray too much painkiller and was given a nine-month suspended jail sentence in Germany for negligence.

Chris Banks, chief executive of NHS Cambridgeshire, said since the death it had closely monitored TCN's performance.

"We recently became dissatisfied with the progress being made and concerned about TCN's overall performance," he said.

"On 18 September we served a formal remedial notice under the contract.

"The Care Quality Commission then published its interim statement on 2 October in which it referred to concern about unfilled shifts.

Temporary replacement

"Some of this concern arose from visits to TCN bases in East Cambridgeshire and Fenland, and adjacent parts of Suffolk."

NHS Cambridgeshire has arranged for a temporary replacement of the service when the contract with TCN ends on 1 December until a new contract is in place.

In a statement TCN said it had decided not to contest the decision to terminate its contract.

Dr Jim Kennedy, TCN medical director said, "We couldn't agree on a number of issues relating to the out-of-hours needs of patients in a rural community."