Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Bridgeway Practice on 1 June 2015. We found that effective recruitment procedures were not in place. After the comprehensive inspection, the practice wrote to us to say what they would do to meet the legal requirement to ensure effective recruitment procedures were followed in regards to all persons employed.

We undertook this focused inspection of the practice on 19 October 2015, to check that improvements had been made to meet the legal requirement following our comprehensive inspection. We looked at documents submitted to us by the practice, to demonstrate that they had taken action to address the issues we identified at the last inspection. We did not visit the practice as part of this review.

Overall the practice is rated as good. Our findings across the area we inspected were as follows:

• Effective recruitment procedures were followed to help keep patients safe, and ensure that all staff employed are suitable to carry out the duties required of them.
• Improvements had been made to ensure that the practice obtained all the information required by law, prior to new staff commencing employment, to ensure they are suitable to work with vulnerable adults and children.
• An independent company provided up-to-date advice and support on all aspects of recruitment, employment law and human resources, to ensure that the practice followed robust procedures and met the legal requirements.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Bridgeway Practice on 1 June 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing effective, caring, responsive and well-led services. It was also rated as good for providing services for the six population groups. It required improvement for providing safe services.

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

Comments from patients were generally very positive about the care and services they received. They said that they were treated with kindness, dignity and respect and were involved in decisions about their care and treatment.

Patients had access to care and treatment when they needed it. They told us they were usually able to access an urgent appointment or request a telephone consultation the same day. Three patients reported a delay at times in obtaining a non-urgent appointment.

Overall, systems were in place to keep patients safe and to protect them from harm. However, robust recruitment procedures were not followed to ensure that all staff employed are suitable to carry out the duties required of them.

The staff team were committed to meeting patients’ diverse needs. Patients’ needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.

Staff were supported to develop their knowledge and acquire new skills to provide high quality care.

There was an open, positive and supportive culture. The staff team were committed to new ways of working to ensure the service was well-led.

The practice had undergone considerable changes following the recent merger of the partnership with another GP practice. The leadership and systems to drive improvements and monitor the quality of service were being strengthened, to ensure the delivery of high-quality care.

There were plans to further develop the services but this was dependent on the recruitment of additional clinical staff, and alterations to the premises, to provide further space and consultation rooms. A date for starting the alterations had yet to be agreed.

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

Importantly the provider must:

Operate effective recruitment procedures to ensure the information required by law is available in relation to all staff employed, to ensure they are fit to carry out the duties required of them.

The provider should:

Strengthen the systems in place to support staff to deliver care and treatment to expected standards by;

• developing the induction programme relevant to specific staff roles
• providing appropriate clinical supervision to the nurse and ensuring all staff receive a regular appraisal of their performance.
• reviewing the numbers, skills and experience of staff required to further develop the services and meet patients’ needs.

Ensure that information available to patients enables them to understand the complaints process.

Develop a vision and future plans for the practice to give all practice staff a clear direction for improvement.

Review relevant policies including infection control and staff recruitment to include all procedures followed at the practice.

Ensure a robust clinical audit programme is in place to provide assurances that patients are receiving effective care and treatment and to improve patient outcomes.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice