Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at the Nightingale Valley Practice on 26 November 2015. Overall the practice was rated as good but the safe domain was rated as requires improvement. This was because of areas of risk were identified at its branch site (Riverside Surgery. Wyatts View, St Anne’s Park, Bristol BS4 4WW). Following the inspection we issued a requirement notice. The notice was issued due to a breach of Regulation 12 of The Health and Social Care Act (Regulated Activity) Regulations 2014, relating to safe care and treatment.

Areas of risk identified at the Riverside branch site were:

• The provider must ensure improvements in respect of the management of infection control.
• The provider must ensure that Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) items are stored safely and in accordance with guidance.
• The provider must ensure that there is a method of assuring that a trained first aider is present at all times when the practice is open, or that the practice has carried out a proper risk assessment to evidence that a first aider is not required.

The full comprehensive report on the 26 November 2015 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Nightingale Valley Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was a focused desk top inspection carried out on 10 February 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their action plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 26 November 2015. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection. Overall the practice is now rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected during this inspection, were as follows:

• We saw documentary evidence that the practice completed an audit for the management of infection control and produced an action plan. Some of the actions on the plan were due to be completed by the time of this follow-up inspection, and we saw documentary evidence that this had happened.
• We saw documentary evidence that the practice had taken steps to ensure that substances hazardous to health were stored safely and in accordance with guidance.
• We saw documentary evidence that the practice had addressed the issue of a trained first aider being present at all times when the practice was open.

Following this inspection the practice was rated overall as good across all domains.

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 the Nightingale Valley Practice on the 26 November 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good but the safe domain was rated as requires improvement.

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.
• Most risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• 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 there were urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• 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:

• Areas of risk identified at the Riverside site should be improved in respect of the management of infection control.

• At the Riverside site, Control of Substances Hazardous to Health items were not stored safely or in accordance with guidance.

• At the Riverside site, there was no method of assuring that there was a trained first aider present at all times when the practice was open.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice