Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Prenton Medical Centre on16 May 2017. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• There were systems in place to mitigate safety risks including analysing significant events and safeguarding.
• Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered in line with current legislation.
• Patients said they were treated with care, compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and feedback.
• Patients we spoke with said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care. Routine and urgent appointments were available the same day with an open access surgery in the mornings.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• The practice had arrangements to respond to emergencies and major incidents.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice sought patient views about improvements that could be made to the service; including having a patient participation group (PPG) and acted, where possible, on feedback.
• Staff worked well together as a team, knew their patients well and all felt supported to carry out their roles.
• The provider was aware of the requirements of the duty of candour.

There were areas where the provider should make improvements and these are:

• Review the recruitment records to ensure all required information relating to people working at the practice was obtained and held.

• Review the chaperone policy to ensure all staff who had been trained to undertake these duties had also been checked through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

• Review policies and procedures to ensure they are specific to the practice with local contact details.

• Review protocols and staff training to ensure correct procedures are followed if the fridge temperatures fall outside of the required range for temperature sensitive medicines to minimise the risk of adverse effects on the medicines.

• Review the systems to monitor the use of prescription pads.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice