Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Warren Farm Urgent Care Centre on 28 February 2017. Overall the service 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 recording, reporting and learning from significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• The provider was aware of risks associated with high locum use and had taken action to minimise those risks, through recruitment checks and performance monitoring arrangements. Those employed on a locum basis were required to provide evidence that training was up to date to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Patients’ care needs were assessed and delivered in a timely way according to need and in line with current evidence based guidance.
• Staff received training to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience appropriate to their roles.
• There were systems in place to ensure patients with urgent care needs were prioritised.
• 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. Complaints and concerns received were used to support improvement in the quality of care.
• The provider worked proactively to develop services that supported alternatives to hospital care where appropriate.
• The service had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There was a relatively new leadership team in place and staff felt this was having a positive impact on the service and the support they received.
• The service 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:

• Consider how systems of clinical audit or other improvement activity could be implemented to support improvements in patient outcomes.

• Review patient feedback to ensure accuracy of data in order to identify areas for improvement.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

During our visit, we spoke with the manager, four staff and five people using the service. Four people using the service gave consent so we could follow them through their treatment.

We saw staff explaining the process to people throughout their treatment. One person told us, “I come here more often then I go to the doctors because they provide a good service and are very friendly, they are excellent with the children’’. Another person told us,” Coming here means I don’t have to wait to get through on a telephone number that keeps you waiting like the doctors do, only to be told there are no appointment, so I am very glad I can come here’’.

The provider had clear procedures in place to identify and respond to suspicions of abuse to ensure people were protected against abuse.

Staff received a range of training so that they had up to date knowledge and skills in order to support people receiving a service.

The provider took steps to assess and monitor the quality of the service provided and the information was used to improve the service if required.