The Care Quality Commission (CQC) took enforcement action and cancelled the registration of Eltham Palace PMS on March 19.
The decision came after the surgery, which provides services to 7,710 patients under a contract with NHS England, was assessed by the CQC in January and found to be lacking in a number of areas.
The practice was found to be failing in its obligations to patients and staff.
Staff referred to a “toxic working environment” stemming from the “negative relationship between the (surgery’s) partners”.
A “breakdown in the partnership between the two GP partners” was twice referenced in the report.
The GP partners were reported to follow different processes at the practice, and CQC said it was unclear what steps had been taken to create a successful working partnership.
Inspectors said the facilities and equipment met patient needs and were “clean and well maintained,” but flagged concerns about patient reviews not being conducted in line with national guidelines.
It was noted that patients were not always given follow-ups in a timely manner after exacerbations of long-term conditions, and staff working at the practice did not always feel their wellbeing was given due consideration.
Complaints were another area of concern, with CQC saying these were not always recorded or actioned in a “timely manner”.
The GP partners were found to have not been working effectively together, negatively impacting patient care and staff wellbeing.
This was a recurring issue found during previous inspections in May 2023, April 2024, and February 2025.
A breakdown in the partnership between the two GP partners remained at the last inspection in January 2026.
The CQC report noted: “In instances where CQC have decided to take civil or criminal enforcement action against a provider, we will publish this information on our website after any representations and/or appeals have been concluded.”
Patient feedback, collected from various sources including the NHS website, interviews and the National GP Patient Survey, reported improvements in how appointments were accessed, including reduced waiting times and improved ways of contacting the practice.
However, satisfaction was lower than the national average in terms of the overall experience of the practice and whether healthcare professionals were attentive and caring.
Despite improvements, the practice scored 59 out of a possible 100 in the “safe” category, staying at the “requires improvement” rating from the last assessment.
More concerning was the “well-led” category, in which Eltham Palace Surgery scored 36 out of 100, rated as “inadequate”.
The report stated: “The service was in breach of Regulation 17 (Good governance) in relation to governance, management and sustainability.”
The service did not consistently make and document a “complete assessment of their needs,” inspectors said.
Concerns about the high-dose treatment of patients with severe asthma exacerbations being left unchecked were raised.
Elsewhere in the lengthy report, the CQC noted patients were at risk due to the delayed review of test results, and children not attending appointments were not routinely flagged or followed up.
The practice was found to have made some improvements since the inspections in May 2023, April 2024, and February 2025.
Responsiveness, while showing some improvement, was rated as “requires improvement”.
The CQC said the practice did not “always understand their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, so services work seamlessly for people”.
It also said there was a lack of “continuous learning, innovation and improvement across the organisation”, with no “consistently effective system to share learning from complaints or significant events.”
CQC has cancelled the surgery’s registration and the surgery posted a statement on its website to say it had closed on March 19.
The surgery said: “We are sorry for the short notice and we understand this will be concerning for many of our patients. Please be assured that your care will continue.”
Eltham Medical Practice, located in the same building at Eltham Community Hospital, will be providing temporary care for all patients registered with Eltham Palace Surgery, it added.
The NHS will write to patients to outline their options.
The surgery added: “Thank you for your understanding and for the privilege of caring for you over the years.”