Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Consett Medical Centre on 7 June 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 been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Most patients said they found it easy to 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 well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There was a clear leadership structure. The practice 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 should make improvement are:

Minutes from meetings about palliative care and safeguarding issues to be shared with clinicians.

Prescription forms in GP’s bags to be monitored individually. Prescribers on home visits should record the serial numbers of any prescription forms/pads they are carrying before leaving the practice premises and on returning. Only a small number of prescription forms should be taken on home visits to minimise the potential loss.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Since the previous inspection undertaken in December 2013, the practice had made numerous improvements regarding their resources, appointments, and clinics held.

During the inspection we spoke with six patients. They all expressed satisfaction with the practice and the care given to them with most of them having been patients there for many years. The extra surgeries were welcomed although the patients spoken with had not had any problems getting appointments.

We found the provider had made improvements in relation to the cleanliness of the practice. We saw a nurse had been appointed as the lead for infection control and a formal policy and monitoring system had been implemented.

We observed the waiting area when patients arrived to reception. We saw that staff dealt with enquiries as discretely as possible to limit the possibility of other patients hearing.

We spoke with nine patients. All of the patients said they were happy with the standard of care they received at the practice. Comments included “I’m very happy with the service I’ve had”, It’s good, I don’t have any complaints about any of the services” and “Staff are lovely here.”

Most of the patients we spoke with expressed dissatisfaction with the appointment booking system. People told us “It’s horrendous trying to get an appointment”, “It’s quite difficult to make an appointment”, “It’s not very good at all” and “It’s fine, when you can get an appointment.”

We identified a number of areas of concern in respect of infection control. We found clinical waste was not secure, some equipment was unclean and some staff had not received appropriate training.

We found staff received regular training and supervision. Staff told us they felt supported by their managers.