Lane End Medical Group

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. We saw some areas of outstanding practice when we inspected, which are detailed below.

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

The practice had a proactive and structured approach to maintaining a safe environment for patients and staff, with designated staff members responsible for oversight of contracts to ensure the premises was well maintained. Staff and leaders completed health and safety risk assessments and undertook audits to ensure they had identified and addressed all risks. The practice used a risk register to track and manage risks. The practice had a maintenance schedule which documented multiple premises and equipment checks. The practice had a business continuity plan which was regularly reviewed and outlined how the practice should continue to operate in the event of a disruption. The practice told us that there were always at least two members of management on site who would manage any disruption to services and staff were able to access the business continuity policy both on and off site. The practice told us that all prescriptions were completed electronically and no prescription stationary was stored on site.

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

The practice employed a range of clinical and non-clinical roles, which included GPs, nurses, healthcare assistants, pharmacists, practice management team and administrative and reception staff. The practice also worked together with the community, mental health teams, social care, local pharmacy, hospital and voluntary services within the Primary Care Network (PCN). Leaders ensured staff were up to date with their training which the practice had deemed mandatory and operated within their agreed areas of competence. The practice 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. We observed that the staff files we reviewed were well maintained and up to date. The practice had a programme for staff appraisals in place which staff we spoke with confirmed had been completed. The practice placed a strong emphasis on staff training and professional development. Staff were encouraged to undertake learning relevant to their roles and to support their own career aspirations. Leaders told us that teaching and training was fundamental and provided examples of where staff had been supported to progress in their careers.. Staff members we spoke with confirmed that they were provided with opportunities to discuss further learning and development during appraisals and one to one meetings. They told us that the practice fostered a supportive environment for professional growth. Staff workloads and performance were monitored daily and, where appropriate, support or further training was offered to staff. The practice provided training to GPs and held tutorials with trainees on a weekly basis. Audits and safety netting was completed to ensure feedback was provided to trainees and provide a safe environment for patients.

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

The advanced nurse practitioner was the dedicated infection prevention and control (IPC) lead at the practice. The practice took a proactive and comprehensive approach to IPC. We saw evidence of comprehensive programme of audits which was overseen by the lead. This included a 6 monthly audit which included staff immunisations. The lead conducted regular risk assessments to ensure compliance and took action where necessary to mitigate any identified risks. The IPC lead met on a monthly basis with the operations manager of the cleaning contractor and conducted routine spot checks on the cleanliness of the premises. A monthly audit of medical equipment was completed, with items cleaned and tagged. The IPC lead attended staff meetings to embed IPC learning and sent regular emails to the team regarding IPC learning. The practice had cleaning schedules available, which outlined how contracted cleaning staff should clean the building and its equipment. The practice demonstrated how these were monitored for completion to maintain oversight of cleaning arrangements. During our onsite visit, the premises and a sample of equipment reviewed was noted to be visibly clean. Staff had completed relevant training in IPC. The IPC lead distributed NHS infection control resources, such as hand hygiene and seasonal health leaflets, to staff in communal areas to promote awareness. Staff at the practice worked together collaboratively to ensure there was a structured approach to IPC, with clear roles and responsibilities assigned to different team members. For example, receptionists were allocated to specific clinical rooms to check expiry dates, cleanliness and stock levels.

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