Huntley Mount Medical Centre

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

We looked for evidence people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. At our last assessment, we rated this key question as Good. At this assessment, the rating remains the same.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

We did not look at Learning culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe systems, pathways and transitions during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safeguarding during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Involving people to manage risks during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

The service was fully aware of all potential risks in the care environment and controlled them well. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.
The service had contracts to ensure the premises was maintained. Staff and leaders completed health and safety risk assessments and undertook audits to ensure they had identified and addressed all risks.

Innovative ways of working had been developed to make access to important information simple for staff, meaning easier processes and fewer opportunities for errors. For example there was a wall where the emergency equipment was mounted with access to all staff. It displayed information about what to do in the event of emergencies, had checklists of expected equipment and a poster-sized photograph showing what is contained in the locked emergency medicines box. There were also clear checklists with expiry dates for all the equipment and medicines with the person whose responsibilities for checks clear. It included single use medical spill kits.

The service had a business continuity plan which was regularly reviewed and outlined how the service should continue to operate in the event of a disruption.
 

The service made sure there were always enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received thorough support, supervision and strong development opportunities. They worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs.

The service employed a range of clinical and non-clinical roles, which included GPs, nurses, paramedics and pharmacists. Leaders ensured staff were up to date with their training which the service had deemed mandatory and operated within their agreed areas of competence. The service followed safe recruitment procedures when employing staff, which were in line with national legislation. This included identity checks, review of qualifications, obtaining of professional references and a criminal records check. Effective and robust systems ensured all documentation was regularly reviewed, checked and audited with the aim of continuous improvement.

Staff procedures were reviewed regularly, and the practice had innovative systems of improving processes. For example, for every procedure that administration staff had to carry out, a guide was produced by two members of staff. This was those staff members that were identified as the strongest at the process and those that were identified as the least confident with it. They then created step-by-step guides together that were clear enough for the least experienced staff to understand how to carry it out effectively. The library of these guides were then made available to all staff to make sure that new staff or those covering the duties of others knew how things should be done.
 

The service assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly.

The service had cleaning schedules available, which outlined how staff should clean the building and its equipment. The service demonstrated how these were monitored for completion to maintain oversight of cleaning arrangements. During our onsite visit, the service's premises and a sample of equipment reviewed was noted to be visibly clean. The service’s infection prevention and control lead conducted regular risk assessments and audits to ensure compliance and took action where necessary to mitigate any identified risks. Staff had completed relevant training in infection prevention and control. Much of the practice was newly refurbished, and new facilities had been designed to specifications to ensure best practice in infection prevention and control are easier to achieve.
 

We did not look at Medicines optimisation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.