The Care Quality Commission
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Archived: Dr PD Gupta

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Netherton Surgery, 84 Halesowen Road, Netherton, Dudley, West Midlands, DY2 9PS (01384) 239657

Provided and run by:
Links Medical Practice

Important: This service is now registered at a different address - see new profile

All Inspections

29 September 2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We previously inspected Dr PD Gupta’s practice, also known as Links Medical Practice on 20 September 2016. As a result of our inspection visit the practice was rated as good overall, with a good rating for providing effective, caring, responsive and well-led services. However, the practice was rated as requires improvement for providing safe services and therefore a requirement notice was issued to the provider. This was because we identified a regulatory breach in relation to regulation 17, Good governance and we identified areas where the provider must make improvements in relation to this.

We carried out a focussed desk based inspection of Dr PD Gupta’s practice on 29 September 2017. This desk based inspection was conducted to see if improvements had been made following the previous inspection in 2016. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Dr PD Gupta on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • We noted sustained improvements to governance and record keeping across areas such as patient group directives (PGDs) and emergency medicine monitoring records during our desk top follow up inspection.
  • We saw evidence to demonstrate that the nurses administered vaccines, including travel vaccinations, using patient group directives (PGDs). PGDs are written instructions for the supply or administration of medicines to groups of patients who may not be individually identified before presentation for treatment. We saw that PGD records reflected guidelines.
  • We found that the practice had strengthened their process for monitoring their emergency medicines. We saw records to demonstrate that emergency medicines and equipment was checked every month, with an additional check every six months. Evidence provided as part of our desk top inspection demonstrated that the practices improved process for monitoring emergency medicines was well embedded.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

20 September 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr PD Gupta’s practice, also known as Links Medical Practice on 20 September 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • We saw that staff were friendly and helpful and treated patients with kindness and respect. Staff spoken with demonstrated a commitment to providing a high quality service to patients.
  • The practice was proactive in identifying and managing significant events. There was a structured programme of continuous clinical and internal audit. There was a strong theme of shared learning and emphasis on continuous quality and improvement.
  • During our inspection we found that some of the practices emergency medicines had expired and that the practices system for monitoring emergency medicines had not been effective. On identifying this, the practice acted immediately and replaced the expired medicines. Furthermore, the practice strengthened their systems for monitoring emergency medicines.
  • There was a strong multidisciplinary approach to patient care. The team met frequently and engaged well with other services through a programme of multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings. Additionally, patients of concern were discussed in practice every two weeks.
  • The practice proactively offered depression and sleep screening to patients with long term conditions and were able to offer them with specific support and make onward referrals to support services and specialist clinics where necessary.
  • Patients could access appointments and services in a way and at a time that suited them. The practice offered a choice of extended hours to suit their working age population, with extended hours available four days a week at the branch practice on Hazel Road.
  • Local prescribing data highlighted that the practice was performing at the highest level for the CCG area for appropriate prescribing of antibiotics and for overall adherence with the local prescribing formulary.
  • By focussing on identifying more carers who were registered at the practice, the practices carers register had increased to 3%. This included young carers to enable the practice to offer them with specific care and support.
  • The practice had recognised that they had outgrown their premises at the Links Medical Practice and therefore had plans to move across to the large health centre which was situated across the road during the summer of 2017.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

  • Ensure that processes for checking aspects of safety are effective to ensure adequate emergency medicine arrangements are in place.
  • Maintain appropriate governance of patient group directions (PGDs) and ensure that national guidelines are adhered to.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice