UK inspectors find maggots in clinic BRITISH health inspectors have uncovered a catalogue of failings at some GP practices, with medicines stored in a way that puts children and patients at risk of infection and rooms so dirty they had maggots. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) health regulator carried out inspections at 1000 practices across England and found examples of "very poor care" that put patients at risk. While many people received an excellent service, a third of surgeries (34 per cent) failed to meet at least one of the required standards on good practice and protecting patients. In nine practices "there were very serious failings that could potentially affect thousands of people," the CQC said, and in 90 practices follow-up inspections had to be ordered to ensure improvements were made. Some GPs left private medical files laying around, had medicines that were out of date, filthy treatment rooms and employed staff who had not undergone criminal record checks. In one of the better-performing practices, inspectors found maggots and dirty conditions, while in another consulting rooms had no doors and people could hear what was being said to the GP. In some surgeries, emergency drugs were out of date and fridges were not always checked to ensure they were at the right temperature. The CQC said this puts children in particular at risk because failure to store vaccines at the right temperature can reduce their effectiveness, leading to an outbreak of a contagious childhood disease such as measles.