Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Ashwell Surgery on 17 February 2016. 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 in place for reporting and recording significant events.
- Although risks to patients who used services were assessed, the systems and processes to address these risks were not implemented well enough to ensure patients were kept safe.
- Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
- 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.
- There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice 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.
We saw one area of outstanding practice:
The practice provided a community anticoagulation service. This is a local service for the monitoring of patients on blood thinning medication, for those patients that can attend the practice and for the housebound. The practice offered this service to patients registered with 10 out of the 12 practices in the Local CCG area, which enabled the patient to receive a local service without the need to attend a hospital clinic. This service was provided by a lead GP supported by dedicated qualified anticoagulation nurses.
The areas where the provider must make improvement are:
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Ensure staff that act as chaperones are risk assessed for the need of a Disclosure and Barring Check (DBS) and those that require one receive a DBS check.
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Ensure that the healthcare assistant has patient specific instructions from a prescriber before administering medicines.
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Ensure an appropriate system is implemented for the safe management of controlled drugs.
The areas where the provider should make improvement are:
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Introduce a system to risk assess the need for a DBS check at recruitment and for long standing staff.
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Complete the delivery of the appraisals for non clinical staff and competency assessments for dispensary staff in line with the programme schedule; completion date 31 March 2016.
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Carry out periodic fire drills.
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Complete the revision of the business continuity plan.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice