Archived: The Practice Asquith

Updated 5 February 2015

The practice is located in a large converted house in a residential area of south Leicester. On the day of our inspection the patient list was 3,837.

The practice is within the area covered by Leicester City Clinical Commissioning Group. The practice has opted out of the requirement to provide GP services outside of normal hours. The out-of-hours service is provided by The Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Out of Hours Service.

The patient population falls within the third least deprived decile according to information supplied by Public Health England. A high percentage of patients were aged over 75 as compared with the national average.

The practice employs two whole time equivalent salaried GPs providing 17 sessions per week. Two practice nurses and one healthcare assistant / phlebotomist are employed, together with receptionists and administration staff.

The Practice Asquith is a service operated by The Practice Surgeries Limited under an Alternative Provider Medical Services Contract (APMS).

The practice is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide the regulated activities of; the treatment of disease, disorder and injury; diagnostic and screening procedures; family planning; maternity and midwifery services and surgical procedures.

The surgery was open from 8.00 am until 6.30 pm daily, with extended opening hours on two mornings from 7.30 am. The surgery was open from 8.00 am to 11.00 am Saturdays.

Updated 5 February 2015

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

The Practice Asquith offers a range of primary medical services from a single surgery at 693 Welford Road, Leicester.

We carried out an announced, comprehensive inspection on 12 November 2014.

Prior to our inspection we consulted with the local clinical commissioning group (CCG) and the NHS local area team about the practice. A CCG is an organisation that brings together local GPs and experienced health professionals to take on commissioning responsibilities for local health services. Neither of these organisations had any significant concerns.

We spoke with patients and staff including the management team. The inspection focussed on whether the care and treatment of patients was safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. During the inspection we spoke with patients and carers that used the practice and met with members of the patient reference group (PRG). A PRG is a group of patients who have volunteered to represent patients' views and concerns and are seen as an effective way for patients and GP surgeries to work together to improve services and to promote health and improved quality of care.

We also reviewed comments cards that had been provided by CQC on which patients could record their views.

We looked at patient care across the following population groups: Older people; those with long term medical conditions; mothers, babies, children and young people; working age people and those recently retired; people in vulnerable circumstances who may have poor access to primary care; and people experiencing poor mental health.

Our key findings were as follows:

Patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect.

Staff were able to identify and respond to changing risks to patients including deteriorating health and well-being or medical emergencies

Staff understood their responsibilities to raise concerns, and report incidents and near misses.

Patients reported good access to the practice and a named GP and continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.

No action had been taken to respond to issues identified in infection prevention and control audits or as a result of a fire risk assessment.

No clinical audit had been undertaken at the practice.

The overall rating for The Practice Asquith is ‘Requires improvement’

Importantly, the provider must:

• Ensure that issues identified as a result of infection prevention and control audits are actioned to help reduce the risk from healthcare associated infections.

• Ensure that issues identified in the fire risk assessment are addressed to mitigate the risk to patients, staff and others from unsafe or unsuitable premises.

• Undertake clinical audit to ensure a quality improvement process that seeks to improve patient care and outcomes through systematic review of care and the implementation of change.

In addition the provider should:

• Ensure paper rolls used to cover examination couches are stored correctly.
• Have in place a process to record verbal complaints in order that any themes and learning can be derived from them.
• Ensure that their complaints information is updated.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice