27 July 2016
During a routine inspection
Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out a focused desktop inspection of Tang Hall Lane Surgery on 27 July 2016 to assess whether the practice had made the improvements in providing safe care and services.
We had previously carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Tang Hall Lane Surgery on 3 February 2016 when we rated the practice as good overall. The practice was rated as requires improvement for providing safe care. This was because some non-clinical staff who undertook chaperone duties had not received a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS). (DBS checks identify whether a person has a criminal record or is on an official list of people barred from working in roles where they may have contact with children or adults who may be vulnerable). The chaperone policy was re-written to assert that only clinicians who held a current DBS check would perform chaperone duties. We asked the provider to monitor, that the changes made to their chaperone policy were sustainable and that staff who performed this role would be DBS checked.
The provider was also asked to improve the access for patients to named GP to improve continuity of care.
We asked the provider to send a report of the changes they have made. The practice was able to demonstrate that they were meeting the standards. In addition patient access to named GP had improved as reflected in the July 2016 patient survey. We were told that the provider continued to trial different ways of working to improve continuity of care for their patients. The practice is now rated as good for providing safe care. The overall rating remains good.
This report should be read in conjunction with the full inspection report dated 31 May 2016.
Our key finding across the area we inspected was as follows:
The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems, processes and practices in place to keep patients safe and safeguarded from abuse. Patients were not disadvantaged by the changes to the chaperone policy and this was to be closely monitored to assure sustainability.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice