Background to this inspection
Updated
17 May 2021
The Law Medical Practice is located in Willesden at:
9 - 11 Wrottesley Road,
Willesden,
London.
NW10 5UY
The Law Medical Practice also has a separately registered location at:
124 - 128 Harrow Road,
Wembley,
Middlesex.
HA9 6QQ
The provider is registered with CQC to deliver the regulated activities; diagnostic and screening procedures, maternity and midwifery services and treatment of disease, disorder or injury and surgical procedures. These are delivered from both sites.
Patients can access services at either surgery.
The practice is situated within the Brent Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and delivers General Medical Services (GMS) to a patient population of about 18,000 across both registered locations. This is part of a contract held with NHS England.
The practice is part of a wider network of GP practices.
The age range of patients is predominantly 15 to 64 years. The practice has a lower percentage of patients aged over 65 years when compared to the national average. The National General Practice Profile states that 28.5% of the practice population is from an Asian background, 22% originating from a black background, and a further 11% of the population originating from mixed or other non-white ethnic groups.
Information published by Public Health England rates the level of deprivation within the practice population group as four, on a scale of one to ten. Level one represents the highest levels of deprivation and level ten the lowest.
Male life expectancy is 81 years compared to the national average of 79 years. Female life expectancy is 85 years compared to the national average of 83 years.
There is a team of eight GPs who provide cover at this location, this consists of three GP partners and five salaried GPs. The practice has a team of three nurses who provide nurse led clinics for long-term conditions and four healthcare assistants at this location. The GPs are supported at the practice by a team of reception and administration staff. The business manager and operations manager are based at the location to provide managerial oversight.
Due to the enhanced infection prevention and control measures put in place since the pandemic and in line with the national guidance, most GP appointments were telephone consultations. If the GP needs to see a patient face-to-face then the patient is offered a choice of both registered locations associated with the provider.
Extended access is provided by the practice’s primary care network under a direct enhanced services (DES) contract, where late evening and weekend appointments are available between 6.30pm to 8pm on weekdays and 8am to 8pm on weekends and bank holidays.
Updated
17 May 2021
We carried out an announced inspection at The Law Medical Practice on 28 April 2021. Overall, the practice is rated as Good.
Following our previous inspection on 18 July 2019, the practice was rated Good overall and for all key questions except Safe which was rated as Requires Improvement:
The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Law Medical Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk
Why we carried out this inspection
This inspection was a focused inspection to follow up on:
- Medicines management concerns, specifically the appropriate and safe use of some high-risk medicines.
- All other ratings from the 19 July 2019 inspection were carried forward because of the assurance received from our review of information.
How we carried out the inspection
Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, taking into account the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections differently.
This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements.
This included:
- Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system and discussing findings with the provider
- Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider
- Requesting evidence from the provider
- A short site visit.
Our findings
We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:
- what we found when we inspected
- information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
- information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.
We have rated this practice as Good overall.
We found that:
- The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
Whilst we found no breaches of regulations, the provider should:
- Develop a formal supervision record of quarterly prescribing reviews of non-medical prescribers.
- Develop signage that promptly makes service users aware of areas in the building where repairs are being carried out to ensure safety.
- Improve chaperone staff training and consider a male chaperone.
- Improve the security of blank prescriptions when the practice is closed.
- Develop processes associated with the sharing and learning of significant events.
- Improve the storage of medicines in fridges so that they do not touch the sides to ensure the cold chain is not affected.
Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.
Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care