Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Petersfield Medical Practice on 10 January 2017. The overall rating for the practice was good, with requires improvement for providing safe services. The full comprehensive report on the January 2017 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Petersfield Medical Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

We undertook a desk-based focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements in relation to the breach identified in our previous inspection on 10 January 2017. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements.

Overall the practice is now rated as good.

Our key findings from this inspection were as follows:

• The practice had an effective recruitment system in place to ensure that staff had the appropriate knowledge, skills and experience for their roles and that identity checks were completed prior to employment.
• Furthermore, the practice had introduced occupational health screening for new staff to ensure that they were capable of performing the tasks required of the role they were employed to perform.
• A formal process for discussing significant events had been introduced to promote learning from incidents. For example, significant events were now shared at weekly practice meetings.
• The practice had worked with the local infection control lead to formulate an action plan in response to the practice’s regular infection control audits.
• Health and safety risk assessments had been undertaken for the premises.
• An induction framework had been developed for all new staff, and Mental Capacity Act (2008) training had been undertaken by existing staff.
• The practice monitored patient feedback received online and through the Patient Participation Group. They attended regular Federation and Clinical Commissioning Group locality meetings in order to understand how they could best meet patients needs and improve access where appropriate.
• The practice had created a bespoke 'Carers Pack' to be given to all patients who were carers.
• Information about how to make a complaint had been added to the practice website and made available on site.

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 Petersfield Medical Practice on 10 January 2017. 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 investigating significant events. Further improvement could be made to recording significant events to ensure that their progress could be tracked more easily.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed although general health and safety risk assessments needed to be strengthened.
• 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.
• Patient comments we received indicated that they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. However, results of the national GP patient survey did not always align with these views.
• Information about services offered by the practice was available along with further information about a range of local services. A complaints process was clear and well managed although there was limited information available to support patients who had a concern or complaint about their care.
• Patient feedback indicated that they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day. Patients also told us staff took time to listen to their needs, were kind and caring.
• 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 sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on. However, further developments were needed to strengthen systems for receiving patient feedback to help inform quality improvements and improve patient experience.
• 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 recruitment process is followed and records are held to demonstrate that;

  • staff have appropriate knowledge, skills and experience

  • identity checks have been completed

  • staff by reason of their health, are capable of performing the tasks required of the role they are employed to perform.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Improve the recording of significant events so that information can be easily tracked.

• Develop infection control action plans in response to audits so that progress can be monitored.

• Review the general health and safety risk assessments to include appropriate detail about the identified risks and any actions taken to mitigate these.

• Review the induction process for new staff and review staff awareness of the Mental Capacity Act 2008.

• Improve systems for gathering and responding to patient feedback including the national GP patient survey. This should include actions in response to patients who are dissatisfied with the practice’s opening times.

• Improve systems used to identify patients with caring responsibilities so that appropriate levels of support may be offered.
• Review patients’ access to information on how to raise a concern or complaint.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice