The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Parkside Family Practice

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

224 Wokingham Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG6 1JS (0118) 926 0026

Provided and run by:
Parkside Family Practice

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Parkside Family Practice on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.

This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.

If you have concerns about Parkside Family Practice, you can give feedback on this service.

2 April 2020

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about Parkside Family Practice on 2 April 2020. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.

27 September 2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Parkside Family Practice on 27 April 2016. The practice was rated requires improvement for safe, responsive and well led services and good for effective and caring services. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. We undertook a focussed follow up inspection on 20 January 2017 to review the previous breaches of regulation identified at the April 2016 inspection. The practice was rated requires improvement for providing safe and well led services as insufficient improvements had been made. The full comprehensive report and follow up reports can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Parkside Family Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 27 September 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 20 January 2017. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • The practice had reviewed their processes and procedures for maintaining the cold chain.Fridge temperature recording logs were completed daily and breaches identified and escalated appropriately.
  • Emergency medicines and equipment had been reviewed and risk assessed to ensure the practice met the needs of its population.

The practice is now rated as good for providing safe and well led services. Overall the practice is now rated as good.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

20 January 2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Parkside Family Practice on 27 April 2016. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the April 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Parkside Family Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 20 January 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 27 April 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is now rated as requires improvement.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • The practice had documentation of completed actions identified in the legionella risk assessment and infection control audits.
  • They were monitoring medicine stock and sharps bins to ensure they were in date and fit for purpose.
  • They had reviewed patient feedback and implemented changes to improve telephone access and nurse care and treatment.
  • They had updated staff files to reflect current immunisation status.
  • We found gaps in fridge temperature logs and cold chain breaches that had not been escalated.
  • Emergency medicines were overdue for a review and had not been risk assessed for suitability of available resources. In addition, monitoring processes were not identifying expired or missing equipment.

However, there were also areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly, the provider must:

  • Ensure governance arrangements are in place to monitor fridge temperatures and make sure staff are aware of how and when to escalate a cold chain breach.

  • Undertake a review or risk assessment to ensure timely access and use in all associated emergency medicines and equipment. Ensure checking systems include observing expiry dates and replacement of missing equipment.

At our previous inspection on 27 April 2017, we rated the practice as requires improvement for not monitoring fridge temperatures. At this inspection we found that the fridge temperatures were still inconsistently recorded and breaches of the cold chain had not been escalated. Consequently, the practice is still rated as requires improvement for providing safe services.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

27 April 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Parkside Family Practice on 27 April 2016. The practice was rated as Requires improvement for Safe, Responsive and Well led services and Good for Effective and Caring. Overall the practice is rated as Requires improvement.

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

However,

  • Most risks to patients were assessed and well managed, with the exception of those relating to legionella

  • Governance systems and processes required improvement.

  • Some aspects of medicines management were ineffectively managed. In particular, emergency medicines were available but not all staff knew of their location and expired medicines were found at both practice sites. In addition, there were gaps in fridge temperature logs where vaccines were stored.

The areas where the provider must make improvement are:

  • To undertake all actions as outlined in the Legionella risk assessments, for both practice sites, dated March 2015.
  • To ensure that all checks and documentation relating to medicines management keep patients safe. This includes regular checking of medicines and the daily recording of fridge temperatures for vaccine storage.
  • Update personnel files to reflect all paperwork relating to clinical staff immunisation status.

In addition, the provider should:

  • Continue to review patient feedback and address concerns relating to nursing care and treatment and telephone access.
  • Infection control audit records should ensure identified actions are documented once completed. Ensure staff are aware of best practice in relation to the use of sharps bins.
  • Consider the location of emergency medicines at the branch surgery in relation to ease of access for all staff. Ensure all staff are aware of the location of the emergency medicines at both practice sites.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice