Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Hazlemere Medical Centre on 11 October 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good. The full comprehensive report on the 11 October 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Hazelmere Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

However at that inspection we found that:

• Staff members acting as a chaperone had not had a risk assessment or a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check as required.

We issued the provider with a requirement notice for a breach of Regulation 19(1)(a)(2)(a) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

The practice was rated as ‘requires improvement’ in the safe key question.

This inspection was a desk-based review carried out on 24 May 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulation that we identified in our previous inspection on 11 October 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements.

The practice is now rated as ‘Good’ for providing safe services.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice had in place clear and effective standing operating procedures to ensure that staff who were required to perform chaperoning duties had either been subject to a thorough risk assessment or subject of a Disclosure and Barring Service check.

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 Hazelmere Medical Centre on 11 October 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• There was an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events and lessons were shared to make sure action was taken to improve safety in the practice.

• Staff members acting as a chaperone had not had a risk assessment or a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check as required.

• New and amended NICE guidelines were discussed at the clinical quality meetings and protocols were changed accordingly.

• The practice had employed a pharmacist to provide support to the practice regarding patient medication reviews.

• Clinical audits were carried out to demonstrate quality improvement.

• Staff worked with other health care professionals to understand and meet the range and complexity of patients’ needs.

• The practice supported patients to live a healthier lifestyle.

• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in decisions about their care and treatment.

• The practice encouraged patients who were carers to identify themselves and provided details of other services that were available to provide support.

• The practice offered a range of in-house services, including wound clinics, phlebtomoy and warfarin clinics.

• Staff from a residential home told us GPs were very responsive to the patient needs.

• 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 and evidence showed the practice responded quickly to issues raised.

• The practice had a clear mission statement to improve patients’ health and promote preventative measures and a healthy lifestyle.

• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.

The areas where the provider must make improvement are:

• Ensure staff acting as a chaperone have either a risk assessment carried out or a DBS check, as required.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice