Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Khalid Laghari (known as Lingholme Health Centre) on 18 August 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.
• 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 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.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Hold regular clinical meetings that are documented to support continued learning and review.

• Review the newly introduced system to monitor uncollected prescriptions, to ensure sustainability.

• Review the systems in place to proactively manage childhood immunisations.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We spoke with five patients on the day of our inspection. They told us they were very satisfied with the service provided and spoke positively about the staff. One patient told us, “I have every confidence in the staff and have no problem getting an appointment.”

The practice had procedures in place to keep people safe in a medical emergency. Records showed that the emergency drugs and equipment in the main surgery and the branch surgery were checked monthly to ensure they were available to use.

We saw detailed and up to date records of the checks carried out of vaccines stored at both surgeries. These measures ensured vaccines were stored safely and available for use. Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about the safe storage and transport of vaccines and had attended training in 2013.

Disclosure and Barring service (DBS) checks provide employers with an individual's full criminal record and other information to assess the individual's suitability for the post. Such checks are required for clinical roles within primary care services. However we found DBS checks had not been carried out for nursing or assistant practitioner roles.

The practice kept a log of significant events including actions taken. We looked at two significant events from 2013 and saw the changes made by the practice as a result, for example, to staff training and guidance. The practice carried out audits and checks to monitor the quality of services provided.