Private GP Services Leeds Gateway

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 that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm.

This is the first inspection for this registered provider since its registration with CQC. This key question has been rated as Good.

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.

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

Managers encouraged staff to raise concerns when things went wrong. During staff meetings, the whole team discussed and learnt from clinical issues. Staff felt there was an open culture, and that safety was a top priority. There was a system to record and investigate complaints, and when things went wrong, staff apologised and gave people support. Learning from incidents and complaints resulted in changes that improved care for others.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. They made sure there was continuity of care, including when people moved between different services.

There were systems in place for processing information relating to new patients. The provider used a registration document to capture information relating to new patients. This information was available to clinicians via the patient record. The provider worked with other providers to deliver shared care and when patients moved between services. Before providing treatment, doctors at the registered provider ensured they had adequate knowledge of the patient’s health, any relevant test results and their medicines history. Referrals and test results were managed in a timely way.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what safeguarding meant and staff knew how to share concerns quickly and appropriately.

There was a safeguarding policy in place, all staff working within the service had undertaken a Disclosure and Barring Service check and received training to the appropriate level.

GPs working in the service could access contact details to the relevant safeguarding teams via an application on their mobile phones.

Any safeguarding concerns were discussed during staff meetings and escalated as appropriate.

The registered provider worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them.

Emergency equipment was available and maintained. Staff could recognise a deteriorating patient and knew of action to take. Patients were advised on risks related to their condition and actions to take if their condition deteriorated.

The registered provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

Contracts were in place to ensure the premises were maintained. Health and safety risk assessments and audits had been undertaken and risks identified had been addressed. There was a business continuity plan in place which was monitored and reviewed.

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

We found training was up to date, learning needs and development of staff was managed appropriately, and staff were working within their agreed areas of competence. Salaried GPs working within the service were allocated 1.5 hours each week to ensure they remained up to date with continuing professional development.

The provider offered a doctor-led service and staffing levels were monitored using monthly utilisation reports to ensure there were enough staff to meet people’s needs.

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

There was a dedicated infection prevention and control (IPC) lead and an IPC policy which was accessible to all staff.

All staff had had relevant training. Cleaning schedules were in place and followed. Risk assessments and audits were completed, and actions taken to mitigate risks.

All instruments used within the service were single use and staff had access to sharps bins in each clinical room for disposal of sharp medical instruments and clinical items.

The registered provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. They involved people in planning, including when changes happened.

Staff kept detailed records of medicines in patient clinical records and for stock or audit purposes. Staff regularly checked stock levels and expiry dates for all medicines, including emergency medicines and vaccines.

As part of this assessment a GP specialist advisor undertook a review of patient records. We reviewed 5 patient records and found that where patients had been prescribed medication, appropriate tests had been undertaken and medication had been prescribed appropriately.

There was a programme of regular clinical audits of prescribing that focused on improving care and treatment. Waste medicines were recorded and disposed of appropriately. The provider had effective systems to manage and respond to national patient safety alerts and medicine recalls.