Key question: safe?
Population group: All groups
This example relates to Key Line of Enquiry S4: How are risks to individual people who use services assessed, and their safety monitored and maintained?
When we inspected
We looked at the recruitment records of a cross section of staff. The records showed that recruitment checks had not been systematically carried out.
For example, we checked the records of the two practice nurses and found no evidence of criminal checks via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) or references for one of the nurses. We also could not find references for the phlebotomist or a member of reception staff.
The practice had not carried out criminal checks for any of the non-clinical staff. There was also no evidence that the practice had assessed the different responsibilities and activities of these staff to determine if they were eligible for a DBS check and at what level. In addition, there was no system in place to monitor the professional registration status of the practice nurses.
Why this is inadequate?
Safe staffing plays an important role in the delivery of safe and effective healthcare. Service users are put at potential risk when DBS checks are not carried out and satisfactory references are not recorded.