A GP surgery flouting fire safety regulations has been ordered to improve by inspectors.

Vicarage Road Medical Centre, in Leyton, was told it ‘requires improvement’ in a Care Quality Commission (CQC) report published this month.

Inspectors said the surgery’s systems to minimise risk to patient safety were “not effective”, with no fire drills carried out at all.

Despite being noted for having an open and transparent approach to safety, the practice achieved low GP patient satisfaction scores in several aspects of care.

The report said: “Information about services and how to complain was available, however the practice had only recorded one complaint in the last 12 months and had no mechanism for recording verbal interactions.”

On its NHS profile, the practice has a two star rating from 11 mostly anonymous users.

One anonymous patient described it as the “worst GP surgery in London” while another described the staff as “really friendly” and Dr Shehla Qureshi as “amazing”.

Chief inspector Steve Field praised the staff’s knowledge about safeguarding and had adequate training for their roles.

Professor Field added: “There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.

“The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on. This included feedback from the active patient participation group.”

But Professor Field did highlight the surgery’s failure to adequately monitor patients on high risk medicines before issuing prescriptions.

Responding to the criticism, a spokesperson for Waltham Forest Clinical Commissioning Group said: “The CCG is aware of the CQC rating and will work with the CQC and NHS England to ensure that issues highlighted are addressed.”