Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Lancaster Gate Medical Centre on 16 December 2015. 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, with the exception of some areas relating to medicines management which should be improved.
• 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.
• 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:

• As recommended in national guidance, consider: placing an additional thermometer in all vaccine fridges or carrying out monthly calibration checks of single thermometers; and arranging for all fridges to be wired into switchless sockets or put in place cautionary notices that the fridge plug switches should not be turned off.

• Document the risk assessment of the practice’s decision not to stock bradycardia medicine in the emergency medicines kit.

• Ensure all monthly checks of emergency medicines are recorded in the log available and that medicine which has passed its expiry date is removed from the kit.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We reviewed the information available to us about Lancaster Gate Medical Centre on 14 May 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.