Archived: Northbourne Medical Centre

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

The practice was rated good overall and is now rated good for providing safe services.

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of this practice on 5 July 2016. A breach of legal requirements was found during that inspection within the safe domain. After the comprehensive inspection, the practice sent us an action plan detailing what they would do to meet the legal requirements. We conducted a focused inspection on 17 November 2016 to check that the provider had followed their action plan and to confirm that they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements.

During our previous inspection on 5 July 2016 we found the following area where the practice must improve:

• Conduct and record regular checks to ensure non-medical electrical equipment is safe to use.

Our previous report also highlighted the following areas where the practice should improve:

• Conduct an overall review of practice policies.

• Ensure all staff receive appropriate training in patient capacity and consent.

• Increase the numbers of patients diagnosed with diabetes and patients with severe and enduring mental health problems who receive an annual review.

• Establish a robust tracking system for blank prescriptions for use in printers.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

During the inspection on 17 November 2016 we found:

• All electrical equipment had been checked and recorded as safe. A certificate dated 7 July 2016 was issued to the practice confirming this.

We also found in relation to the areas where the practice should improve:

• The practice was in the process of conducting an overall review of practice policies and a clear action plan was in place.

• Staff had received training in mental capacity and consent.

• The practice had increased the numbers of patients with diabetes and severe and enduing mental health problems who received an annual review. For example the percentage of patients with diabetes who had a blood pressure reading in the preceding 12 months during 2015/2016 was 81% (previously 67%) compared to the clinical commissioning group average of 79% and the national average of 78%.The percentage of patients with severe and enduing mental health problems who had a comprehensive care plan documented in the preceding 12 months was 75% (previously 58%) compared to the CCG average of 79% and the national average of 88%.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Northbourne Medical Centre on 5 July 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were mostly assessed and well managed. However non-medical electrical equipment had not been checked for safety.

• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment. However, non-clinical staff had not received the appropriate training in consent.

• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. Policies and procedures were in place and accessible to all staff, however these were not always up to date.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

We observed the following areas of outstanding practice:

• There was a monthly dementia café run from the practice by the patient participation group (PPG) which patients with dementia and their carers could attend for support and advice from the practice dementia adviser.

• The practice held a monthly ‘lunch club’ educational meeting delivered by consultant specialists from the local hospital via video link and attended by the GPs and advanced nurse practitioner.

The area where the provider must make improvements is:

• Conduct and record regular checks to ensure non-medical electrical equipment is safe to use.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Conduct an overall review of practice policies.

• Ensure all staff receive appropriate training in patient capacity and consent.

• Increase the numbers of patients diagnosed with diabetes and patients with severe and enduring mental health problems who receive an annual review.

• Establish a robust tracking system for blank prescriptions for use in printers.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice