The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Archived: Cornerways Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

145 George V Avenue, Worthing, BN11 5RZ (01903) 247740

Provided and run by:
Cornerways Surgery

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

25 May 2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

When we visited Cornerways Surgery on 12 April 2016 to carry out a comprehensive inspection we rated them as good overall.  However, we found the practice required improvement for the provision of safe services and said they must:

  • Ensure the practice is able to immediately respond to the needs of a person who becomes seriously ill by installing a defibrillator and oxygen on-site.
  • Ensure all staff have received either a disclosure and barring service check (DBS) or an associated risk assessment. (DBS checks identify whether a person has a criminal record or is on an official list of people barred from working in roles where they may have contact with children or adults who may be vulnerable.)
  • Put arrangements in place for the safe management of medicines.

We also said they should;

  • Ensure all staff have received up to date training in key areas, including information governance.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 25 May 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 at our previous inspection. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection. This report should be read in conjunction with the full report of our inspection on 12 April 2016, which can be found on our website at www.cqc.org.uk .

The practice is now rated as good for the provision of safe services. Overall the practice rating remains as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • Arrangements were in place to ensure the safe management of high risk medicines.
  • The practice had a defibrillator available on the premises and an oxygen concentrator with adult and children’s masks.  (An oxygen concentrator is a machine which creates concentrated oxygen from the ambient air.).
  • We saw evidence all staff had received up to date training in key areas, including information governance and basic life support.
  • We looked at records, including six staff files, which showed all staff had received either a DBS check or an associated risk assessment. 

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

12 April 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Cornerways Surgery on 12 April 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. However, the practice needed to improve arrangements for the storage of controlled medicines and ensure appropriate recruitment checks were undertaken for new staff. The practice had a risk assessment relating to the appropriateness of storage of emergency equipment in site, however this was found to be insufficient for patients’ needs.
  • 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. However not all staff had training in key areas with the exception of information governance training.
  • 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 very 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.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider must make improvement are:

  • Ensure that the practice are able to immediately respond to the needs of a person who becomes seriously ill by installing a defibrillator and oxygen on-site.

  • Ensure all staff have received either a disclosure and barring service check (DBS) or an associated risk assessment.

  • Put arrangements in place for the safe management of medicines.

The area where the provider should make improvement is:

Ensure all staff have received up to date training in key areas including information governance.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

1 October 2013

During a routine inspection

We spoke with four patients who visited the surgery on the day of our inspection. We also spoke with three patients on the practice's Patient Reference Group over the telephone. They all said they were happy with the service. Comments included, "I think it's excellent". And, "It's superb.... We've never had any difficulties whatsoever with them." All of the patients said that they felt well informed and involved in decisions about their care and they could all get an appointment they needed to.

We spoke with the two doctors, the practice manager, a receptionist and a practice nurse. They all said they received sufficient training to enable them to undertake their roles. Staff said they enjoyed working at the practice and felt well supported by the doctors. They said they worked well together as a team. One said, "It's like a family."

We found that the practice had policies and procedures in place to safeguard children and vulnerable adults and that staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities in relation to this. This meant that patients who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse.

The practice had effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received. We saw that patients were regularly asked for their views and that comments and complaints were used to improve the service. We saw that learning took place from significant events and that the findings from national and local audits were acted on.