Two doctors have been told they can no longer run an Orpington surgery because their systems and practices were not sufficient in ensuring quality care for patients.

The Charterhouse Surgery, on Sevenoaks Road, was taken over by McClaren Perry this week after it received another inadequate rating from the Care Quality Commission.

Dr Penelope Lester and Beena Ashok have had their registration to provide general medical services at Charterhouse Surgery withdrawn.

However, the reasons were not linked to the clinical care they provided.

A spokesman for NHS Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group told News Shopper: "This is because the Charterhouse Surgery has been in special measures following its November 2016 and September 2017 inspections by the Care Quality Commission.

"After the September 2017 inspection, the Care Quality Commission concluded that some of the concerns in the reports had not been sufficiently addressed and the practice remained neither safe nor well-led.

"Therefore, the Care Quality Commission took the decision to give the current GP partnership notice of cancellation of their Care Quality Commission registration."

This news was relayed at a Patient Participation Group (PPG) meeting on Thursday (February 6).

Shelia Munns, whose husband was treated at the surgery before his death, was at the meeting.

She told News Shopper: "The surgery is bright and clean. The doctors are guilty of nothing but hard work and dedication. Dr Lester has been a GP for 23 years and is heartbroken. She is so worried for her patients she said and Dr Ashok echoed the sentiments."

Bromley CCG said that the two leading GPs had received no criticism about their clinical care.

New 'caretaker' provider McClaren Perry will now work with Bromley CCG to make improvements to the original service.

The surgery will now operate longer opening times, from 8am until 6.30pm Monday to Friday, and will open during lunch.

A "swift and robust" action plan will be considered over the next three months to address persistent concerns identified by the CQC inspection on January 18.

The inspection report showed that "patients were at risk of harm because systems and processes were not in place to keep them safe".

Staff "were not always clear about their responsibilities" in relation to the surgery's vision of delivering high quality care, according the the inspection report.

A spokeswoman from the General Medical Council told News Shopper that the two doctors remained registered with them.