Archived: Birmingham NHS Walk-in centre

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Birmingham NHS Walk-in Centre on 14 March 2017. Overall the service is rated as requires improvement.

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

• There were systems in place for recording, reporting and learning from significant events. Although, opportunities to learn from incidents were not always maximised.
• Risks to patients were assessed and generally well managed with the exception of infection control.
• Patients’ care needs were assessed and delivered in a timely way according to need and in line with current evidence based guidance.
• There was some evidence of quality improvement activity but this was limited.
• Staff received training to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience appropriate to their roles.
• There was a system in place that enabled staff access to patient summary care records, and staff provided other services, for example the local GP, with information following contact with patients as was appropriate.
• The service managed patients’ care and treatment in a timely way.
• 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. Information from complaints was used to support improvements in the quality of care.
• The service worked proactively with other organisations and providers to develop services that supported alternatives to hospital attendance where appropriate and improved the patient experience.
• The service was accessible to patients and well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There was a clear leadership structure but staff felt a little isolated from the wider organisation. The service 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 effective systems for assessing the risk of, and preventing, detecting and controlling the spread of, infections, including those that are health care associated.
• Ensure effective systems are in place for supporting quality improvement such as clinical audit.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Encourage greater reporting of incidents in order to promote wider opportunities for learning.
• Embed systems put in place for managing prescription stationery and for regular checking of all emergency equipment.
• Consider recording verbal complaints and utilising these to support learning and improvement.
• Consider how working arrangements between the walk-in centre and wider provider organisation could be improved.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice