We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Westside Medical Centre on 5 September 2017. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. The practice was found to be requires improvement in safe and well-led and good in effective, caring and responsive. The full comprehensive report on the September 2017 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Dr Gallagher and Partners on our website at .
This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 8 May 2018 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to make the improvements that we identified in our previous inspection on 5 September 2017. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.
Overall the practice is now rated as good.
Our key findings were as follows:
- Significant events were discussed with staff at weekly practice meetings to ensure that all learning was shared.
- Changes had been made to the nursing team to provide a clear management structure to strengthen the oversight of the team.
- Improvements had been made to the system for cascading and reviewing patient safety alerts to staff.
- The system for tracking prescriptions in the practice was kept under review and regularly audited to ensure that processes were followed by all staff.
- The policy and process for uncollected prescriptions had been revised to include referring to a GP before destruction of uncollected prescriptions. Regular monitoring ensured the process was being followed.
- The system for conducting infection and prevention control had been developed and improved. Audits were completed monthly and ensured that all areas of the practice were inspected with action taken where necessary.
- The system for monitoring patients on high risk medicines had been reviewed. Monthly checks had been introduced to ensure that all patients were monitored and that action was taken within appropriate timescales.
- The procedure for obtaining Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks had been revised and clarified where DBS checks were required. DBS checks were to be completed for all clinical staff at time of employment, with risk assessments completed for all non-clinical staff to determine the need for a DBS check.
- The system for identifying carers had been developed so that more carers could be offered appropriate support. For example, all patients had been contacted to ask about their caring responsibilities with a positive number of responses; drop-in carers sessions were held at the practice; and a member of staff had been appointed as a carers champion. The number of carers registered had risen to 3% of the practice population as a result of the changes made.
- The National GP Patient Survey results had been reviewed with action taken to improve patients' satisfaction in relation to access to the practice by telephone and the GP and patient interaction. For example, changes had been made to the triage system to improve patient access. Patients no longer had to call back in the afternoon if they had missed a morning triage and were automatically transferred to the afternoon triage.
Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice