The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Archived: Dr's Brear, Wimborne and Fleet Also known as York Bridge Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

5 James Street, Morecambe, Lancashire, LA4 5TE (01524) 831111

Provided and run by:
Dr's Brear, Wimborne and Fleet

All Inspections

18 November 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr’s Brear Wimbourne and Fleet, also known as York Bridge Surgery on 18 November 2015. We had previously visited the practice in October 2014, when the surgery was rated as requires improvement. We were able to check that the required actions had been undertaken.

Overall the practice is now 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.

  • It was clear staff had a commitment to providing safe and effective care. The practice had a strong commitment to supporting staff training and development

  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.

  • The practice had acted upon and improved recruitment and employment procedures

  • 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.

  • Feedback from patients about their care was positive. Patients commented that staff were brilliant and were described as caring and professional.

  • Three comment cards completed by patients said they found it difficult to get through to the practice in the morning to make an appointment with a named GP, however when they did there were 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 should make improvement are:

  • Ensure more effective communication with the Patient Participation Group to obtain patient feedback to inform and improve services

  • Improve signage to indicate wheelchair access at the rear of the building

  • Ensure when reviewing policies that any reference to external organisations who no longer exist are removed

  • Ensure that audit results are shared with all staff to consistently support improved outcomes

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

14/10/2014

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We inspected Dr’s Brear, Wimbourne and Fleet, also known as York Bridge Surgery, on 14 October 2014. 

We inspected this practice as part of our new focused, comprehensive, inspection programme. This practice had not previously been inspected.

The practice required some improvements and was rated as requires improvement overall.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • Staff understood their responsibilities to raise concerns, and reported significant incidents. When things went wrong reviews and investigations were carried out. The practice had identified that their identification of actions and review of these incidents could be improved and had developed a new reporting form to aid this.
  • National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance was used routinely. Staff had mostly received training appropriate to their roles. Staff appraisals and personal development plans were up to date.
  • Patients told us they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect. However patients also said they could be overheard at the reception desk and this, we observed, as breaches of confidentiality when patients were at the reception desk.
  • Some patients told us it was difficult to access appointments and to get through on the phone, with some telling us they had to wait up to a month to see a GP if they had a non-urgent problem. However, we received CQC comment cards which indicated that the telephone system had recently improved.

We saw areas of outstanding practice:

  • The practice met regularly to discuss which patients had recently passed away in order to identify and offer their families support. Bereaved families were visited at home to offer emotional support and to sign post to other services.
  • The practice ran appointments in conjunction with Inspire (drug support agency) specifically for people with drug or alcohol problems. This encouraged people living chaotic lifestyles to attend the practice for health care and treatment.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needed to make improvements.

Importantly, the provider must:

  • Ensure that staff are recruited and employed safely. The provider is failing to meet Regulation 21 of the Health & Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010.

In addition there were areas where the provider should make improvements:

  • Policies, including safeguarding, whistleblowing, recruitment and the storage and handling of vaccines were not always up to date and appropriate to the practice.
  • Safety checks and audits such as legionnaires, electrical safety and infection control were not actioned appropriately.
  • Mental Capacity Act (2005) and "best interests" decisions was not included in staff training.
  • Confidential information was disclosed at the reception desk and could be heard by people in the queue or speaking at the same desk.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice