11 February 2015
During a routine inspection
Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at RJ Mitchell Medical Centre practice on 11 February 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.
Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, well-led, effective, responsive and caring services. It was also rated as good for providing services for all population groups.
Our key findings were as follows:
- Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
- Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. Information was provided to help patients understand the care available to them.
- Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. All opportunities for learning from internal and external incidents were maximised.
- 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.
We saw an area of outstanding practice:
- Any patients who deliberately self-harmed were identified from A&E discharges and were invited for mental health assessment and support.
However, there were also areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.
The provider should:
- Ensure the completion of criminal record checks using the Disclosure and Barring service (DBS) prior to the commencement of clinical staff working with patients.
- Ensure prescribers on home visits, before leaving the practice premises, record the serial numbers of any prescription forms/pads they are carrying as per NHS Protect Guidance, August 2013.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice