A GP led urgent care service has been placed in special measures after being rated as inadequate by inspectors.

The STAR (South Tees Access Response) service was launched in April to replace walk-in centres in North Ormesby and Eston, Teesside and provides out-of-hours care.

But while the Care Quality Commission said the care being provided was good, there was a number of areas of concern, leading to its inadequate overall rating.

In a report the CQC said medication and emergency equipment was not readily available in case of emergencies and there were no effective systems in place for recording and managing risks.

There was also a lack of effective safeguarding procedures in place and an ineffective system for handling complaints.

The service is delivered by independent health care provider ELM Alliance Limited and is commissioned by South Tees Clinical Commissioning Group.

Alison Holbourn, deputy chief inspector of General Practice for the North, said: “The service will be kept under review and if needed could be escalated to urgent enforcement action.

“If there is not enough improvement we will move to close the service.”

Elm Alliance chief executive Teik Goh said it had accepted the report findings and made immediate improvements.