Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out a focused desktop inspection of Corbin Avenue Surgery on 28 June 2016 to assess whether the practice had made the improvements in providing safe care and services.

We had previously carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Corbin Avenue Surgery on 14 January 2016 when we rated the practice as good overall. The practice was rated as requires improvement for providing safe care. This was because of how the fridge temperatures that stored vaccines were managed.

We asked the provider to send a report of the changes they would make to comply with the regulations they were not meeting at that time. The practice was able to demonstrate that they were meeting the standards. The practice is now rated as good for providing safe care. The overall rating remains as good.

This report should be read in conjunction with the full inspection report dated 14 January 2016.

Our key finding across the area we inspected was as follows:

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for the management and monitoring of fridge temperatures.

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 Corbin Avenue Surgery on 14 January 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good. Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. Information about how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• The practice had a clear vision which had quality and safety as its top priority. The strategy to deliver this vision had been produced with stakeholders and was regularly reviewed and discussed with staff.
• 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 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.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. 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.

We saw areas of outstanding practice including:

The practice has implemented a ‘Tracker Team’, to support patients who are over 75 years old plus any other vulnerable adult patients. Each patient on this register had a care plan. The team puts in place any necessary and appropriate services and maintains regular contact with patients and carers until such time that the service is no longer required. Practice data shows there has been a 9% reduction in emergency admissions and that end of life care is more proactively discussed with patients since the introduction of the tracker team.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

• Ensure that vaccines are consistently stored appropriately and within the correct temperature range.

In addition, areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Ensure any risk assessments carried out are fully implemented

• Ensure patients who do not have English as a first language are offered appropriate translation services.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice