Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out a desktop inspection of Thatcham Health Centre on 10 October 2016. We requested information from the practice to be sent to us so we could undertake a review of evidence offsite. This was following an announced comprehensive inspection in February 2016 in which the practice was rated as good for providing safe, effective, caring and well-led services and requires improvement for providing responsive services. This is because we identified concerns with the continuity of care as well as telephone accessibility for patients. We issued a requirement notice and rated the practice as requires improvement in the responsive domain. The practice sent us an action plan stating what they were going to do to make improvements. At this inspection we found:

• Patient access had improved through the introduction of a new telephone system.
• A new appointment system was introduced to help improve continuity of care.

During the previous inspection, we also reported on areas where improvements should be considered. At this inspection we found that the practice had also acted on these findings.

The practice had updated their carers identification protocal. This laid out what information was available within the practice to encourage carers to register and also what steps practice staff could take in order to refer them onto the carers register.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Ensuring all patients who are carers are encouraged to register as such. Thus enabling the practice to offer the additional support available for this group of patients.
• Continue to make improvements to telephone access to patients who need to book appointments.
• Continue to review appointment systems to respond to patient concerns about continuity of care.

This report only covers our findings in relation to these requirements. You can read the report from out last comprehensive inspection by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Thatcham Health Centre on our website www.cqc.org.uk 

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out a desktop inspection of Thatcham Health Centre on 10 October 2016. We requested information from the practice to be sent to us so we could undertake a review of evidence offsite. This was following an announced comprehensive inspection in February 2016 in which the practice was rated as good for providing safe, effective, caring and well-led services and requires improvement for providing responsive services. This is because we identified concerns with the continuity of care as well as telephone accessibility for patients. We issued a requirement notice and rated the practice as requires improvement in the responsive domain. The practice sent us an action plan stating what they were going to do to make improvements. At this inspection we found:

• Patient access had improved through the introduction of a new telephone system.
• A new appointment system was introduced to help improve continuity of care.

During the previous inspection, we also reported on areas where improvements should be considered. At this inspection we found that the practice had also acted on these findings.

The practice had updated their carers identification protocal. This laid out what information was available within the practice to encourage carers to register and also what steps practice staff could take in order to refer them onto the carers register.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Ensuring all patients who are carers are encouraged to register as such. Thus enabling the practice to offer the additional support available for this group of patients.
• Continue to make improvements to telephone access to patients who need to book appointments.
• Continue to review appointment systems to respond to patient concerns about continuity of care.

This report only covers our findings in relation to these requirements. You can read the report from out last comprehensive inspection by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Thatcham Health Centre on our website www.cqc.org.uk 

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

At our inspection in September 2013 we found the practice had not made reasonable arrangements to ensure that appropriate infection control guidance was followed. The practice did not have an appropriate infection control policy and had not completed regular infection control audits. Some staff had not received infection control training and records which demonstrated how many staff had received this training, were limited. We also found that consulting rooms were not always furnished taking account of national guidance regarding infection prevention and control.

We completed a follow up review of the Thatcham Health Centre in November 2013 and found they had ensured that people were protected from the risk of infection. This was because the practice had taken reasonable steps to ensure an effective system was developed to assess the risk, prevent and detect the spread of infection.

Patients who used the service were given appropriate information and support regarding their care or treatment. One patient told us “There are a good range of treatments and services and the consultations are always very good”.

We found that care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. One patient said "For such a large practice the service received is excellent. I am pleased they are able to maintain such a personal service". Other patients told us that they sometimes found it difficult to book appointments with their regular GP.

Patients were not always protected from the risk of infection because appropriate guidance had not been followed. However, we found that patients were mostly cared for in a clean and hygienic environment.

All of the patients we spoke with told us that they felt safe with the nurses and GPs. The practice had appropriate policies relating to the protection of vulnerable children and adults. Staff we spoke with mostly understood these policies and what action to take if they identified a concern.

Staff received appropriate development. We spoke with six members of staff and they all told us about the training and appraisals they had received.

We found that the practice had an effective system in place to identify, assess and manage risks to the health, safety and welfare. The practice sent regular surveys to patients to seek their feedback.