Archived: Stanmore Private Family Practice Limited

Updated 25 October 2019

Stanmore Private Family Practice, also known as Stanmore Private Family Physicians, is a private GP practice located in a converted residential property at 69 Elm Park, Stanmore, Middlesex, HA7 4AU. The practice is open from 8:30am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 12pm on Saturdays.

The practice comprises four consulting rooms, a main reception, a waiting room and one toilet (with baby changing facilities). The property allows for full wheelchair access to all rooms and the toilet. The downstairs toilet also had a handrail for disabled patients.

There was a full secure alarm system to protect the building during closing times, and a video intercom system to ensure staff are protected during the day with each patient/visitor being buzzed in.

The practice has been at its’ present location for over 10 years and is the only location from which services are provided. This was the location that we inspected.

The Provider is registered with the Care Quality Commission for the regulated activities of Diagnostic & Screening Procedures and Treatment of Disease, Disorder or Injury. It does not have a website.

There are approximately 1,500 registered patients. The practice team consists of a male GP (full-time), a practice manager (full-time), and two receptionists / administrators (part-time). The practice offers GP services and health assessments for children and adults. Patients can be referred to other services for diagnostic imaging and specialist care.

We carried out this inspection on 15 August 2019 and before visiting, we looked at a range of information that we hold about the practice. We reviewed the last inspection reports from January 2014 and May 2018 and from information submitted by the service in response to our provider information request.

During our visit we interviewed staff (GP and practice manager), observed practice and reviewed documents.

To get to the heart of patients’ experiences of care and treatment, we always ask the following five questions:

• Is it safe?
• Is it effective?
• Is it caring?
• Is it responsive to people’s needs?
• Is it well-led?

These questions therefore formed the framework for the areas we looked at during the inspection.

Updated 25 October 2019

Overall summary

This service is rated as Good overall.

A previous inspection was carried out at Stanmore Private Family Practice Limited on 20 March 2018. At that time, we did not rate the service but found the provider had met the requirements of the key questions for safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.

Although there were no breaches of regulations, we noted that the provider could make improvements in staff training, infection control, storage of medicines, checking the identity of patients, implementing clinical audit and reviewing access to interpretation services.

We carried out this comprehensive inspection at Stanmore Private Family Practice Limited on 15 August 2019 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This announced inspection was planned to check whether the service was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to check that the provider had made improvements as highlighted in our previous inspection and to rate the service.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Requires Improvement

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Good

The Principal GP is the registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

This service is registered with CQC under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 in respect of some, but not all, of the services it provides. There are some exemptions from regulation by CQC which relate to particular types of service and these are set out in Schedule 2 of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

At Stanmore Private Family Practice, approximately 90% of services are provided to patients under arrangements made by an insurance company with whom the servicer user holds a policy (other than a standard health insurance policy). These types of arrangements are exempt by law from CQC regulation. Therefore, at Stanmore Private Family Practice, we were only able to inspect the services which are not arranged for patients by an insurance company with whom the patient holds a policy (other than a standard health insurance policy).

This service is rated as Good overall.

Our key findings were:

• The service had systems in place to manage significant events.
• The service had a clear vision to deliver high quality care for patients.
• The service had clearly defined systems, processes and practices to minimise risks to patient safety.
• Policies and procedures were in place to govern all relevant areas.
• Staff had been trained in areas relevant to their role.
• The service had systems in place for monitoring and auditing the care that had been provided.
• The doctor assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence-based guidance.
• Information about services was available and easy to understand.
• The doctor had the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
• There was an effective system in place for obtaining patients’ consent.
• The service had systems and processes in place to ensure that patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in decisions about their care and treatment.
• The service had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• The service was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

The areas where the provider must make improvement are:

• Implement a process to monitor and improve the quality and safety of the services provided in the carrying on of the regulated activity. Specifically, in relation to quality improvement and clinical audit.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Implement a process where interpretation services could be provided if a patient requested them.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care