Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Bridge Road Medical Centre on 18 May 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.
• 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.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect.
• 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 commented that trying to get through to the practice by phone was difficult and that they found this frustrating.
• Patients said they could 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 equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice acted positively in response to feedback from patients and staff.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

Having a failsafe system in place in relation to cytology screening;

Upgrading or making improvements to the telephone system to address complaints by patients that they cannot get through to the practice by phone.

Providing some extended hours opening for patients with work or caring commitments.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

At a previous inspection 11 February 2014, we found that there were a lack of quality assurance systems in place to monitor the safety and quality of the practice. The provider subsequently sent us an action plan detailing how the practice would become compliant with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Regulations (2010).

At this inspection we found the practice had begun to improve their quality assurance monitoring systems to monitor the safety and quality of the practice.

We spoke with four patients as part of our inspection of the medical centre. They all expressed a satisfaction with the care and treatment they received from the GPs, nurses and administrative staff. They told us they received prescriptions for their medication in a timely way. One patient said, “The reception staff are brilliant and the doctors are fabulous.” All the patients we spoke with said that they could book an advance appointment with their preferred GP most of the time.

Patients told us they were involved in decision making about their care and treatment. They said the doctors and nurses explained things to them in a way they understood. A patient told us, “Doctors explain things well and explain what your medication is for.”

Patients told us it was not always easy to get through to the medical centre by telephone. They said the telephone was often engaged in the morning when they were trying to make an appointment for the same day. They confirmed that if they could not get an appointment then they were offered a telephone consultation with a GP.

Medical records and other records containing confidential information were stored securely.

We found the systems to monitor the safety and quality of the service were not robust and some of the monitoring processes under developed.

Staff were receiving on-going training in relation to their professional development. In addition, arrangements were in place for staff to undertake mandatory (required) training. A process was in place to ensure staff received an appraisal of their performance.