A GP surgery caring for 3,200 patients could be shut down after a healthcare watchdog branded it "inadequate" for the second time.

Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspectors flagged the series of failings at Folkestone's Park Farm Surgery following a recent announced inspection.

In February, Dr Abhijit Neil Banik's surgery, in Alder Road, was put in special measures amid safety and hygiene concerns.

In July, inspectors discovered he failed to abide by warning notices that ordered him to improve safety and administration standards.

Chief inspector professor Steve Fields' report said: “The service will be kept under review and if needed could be escalated to urgent enforcement action.

“Another inspection will be conducted within six months, and if there is not enough improvement we will move to close the service.

“Special measures will give people who use the service the reassurance that the care they get should improve.”

The report says the practice failed to provide a defibrillator on site despite previous warnings, vital records were incomplete and the GP was inaccessible during the inspection.

At the time of the visit the nurse became "very concerned" about a patient's welfare and phoned the GP who was at a “private appointment.”

However, the nurse was unable to get a response and the patient was admitted to hospital.

"Another inspection will be conducted within six months, and if there is not enough improvement we will move to close the service" - Steve Fields

“Staff were advised in this instance they should leave a message and GP would return their call.

“Records did not show that the practice had undertaken a risk or impact assessment for this issue both for staff and patient safety.

“We spoke with staff who reported this was not the only occasion where staff were left without GP support.

“However, other incidents of this type had not been reported or recorded.”

Children and vulnerable patients were at risk because of inadequate safeguarding measures, infection control was mismanaged and the practice "did not maintain appropriate standards of cleanliness and hygiene," prof Field's report adds.

It continues: "Practice leaders had not established appropriate policies, procedures and activities to ensure safety and had not assured themselves that they were operating as intended.

"The practice had reviewed systems and processes in some areas of the practice and made improvements.

"For example, medicines management, infection prevention and control and safeguarding.

"However, we found these were not always being effectively implemented."

Staff treated patients kindly, compassionately and with respect, the report adds.