Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Ivry Street Medical Practice on 13 July 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good, with requires improvement for the safe domain. The full comprehensive report on the July 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Ivry Street Medical Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

We visited Ivry Street Medical Practice to conduct a follow-up focused inspection to check that they had followed their plan and to confirm that improvements had been made following our previous inspection on 13 July 2016. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements. Overall the practice is now rated as good.

However, on the inspection on 13 July 2016, there were areas of practice where the provider needed to make improvements.

We found that the provider must ensure that the actions required in the fire risk assessment are completed and that the practice conducts regular fire drill training. Ensure that ‘safe rooms’ to be used by patients who are unable to manage the stairs in the event of a fire are clear and that plans are available to inform staff and emergency services where they are located.

In addition, we found that the provider should review the infection control procedures within the practice and ensure that sufficient time is allocated to the lead. Review the cleaning schedules and have formal systems in place to monitor the contract cleaners. Review the system used to manage safety alerts. Continue to improve and embed accurate recording/coding of patient data to ensure effective and safe care of patients. Undertake a risk assessment of the use of mercury sphygmomanometers and ensure that mercury spillage kits are available. Review the system used to record and monitor the use of prescription pads and forms. Improve the system to ensure the management team have oversight of the training that practice staff have undertaken and any training that is due.

At this inspection we found evidence that the practice had a completed fire risk assessment and had completed the actions identified. They had carried out a fire drill in August 2016, with another planned for May 2017. Both ‘safe rooms’ were clear and staff were able to demonstrate how they would inform emergency services where they were located in the event of a fire.

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 Ivry Street Medical Practice on 13 July 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.

• The practice needed to improve the management of risks to patients; for example they had failed to undertake regular fire risk assessments and fire drills.

• Systems and process to ensure that clinical data was recorded effectively, needed to be improved.

• Practice 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 relatively 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 must make improvement are:

• Ensure that the actions required in the fire risk assessment are completed and that the practice conducts regular fire drill training. Ensure that ‘safe rooms’ to be used by patients who are unable to manage the stairs in the event of a fire are clear and that plans are available to inform staff and emergency services where they are located.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Review the infection control procedures within the practice, ensure that sufficient time is allocated to the lead enabling them to undertake full infection control audits, and implement any improvements that are identified.

• Review the cleaning schedules, have formal systems in place to agree, monitor, and manage the cleaning processes with the contract cleaners.

• Review the system used to manage safety alerts, ensuring that action and/or learning points are recorded for shared learning.

• Continue to improve and embed accurate recording/coding of patient data to ensure effective and safe care of patients.

• Undertake a risk assessment of the use of mercury sphygmomanometers and ensure that mercury spillage kits are available and that staff have received appropriate training to use them in the event of an spillage.

• Review the system used to record and monitor the use of prescription pads and forms.

• Improve the system to give the management team oversight of the training that practice staff have undertaken and any training that is due.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice