Harris Medical Centre - Care Quality Commission

Background to this inspection

Updated 27 May 2016

Harris Medical Centre is one of two locations operating under the registered provider ‘Adelaide Street Family Practice,’ the other location being Adelaide Street Surgery.

The two locations share a list size of 10,841 patients. Harris Medical Centre occupies a location next to a housing estate on the outskirts of the town, with approximately one third of the practice’s patient list living in the vicinity. Patients registered with the practice are able to access services at either location. As such, all data included in this report refers to Adelaide Street Family Practice; the data is aggregated across both locations.

The practice is part of the NHS Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Services are provided under a Personal Medical Services (PMS) Contract. Staff employed by the practice include three partner GPs (two male and one female) and four salaried GPs (one female and three male). The GPs are supported by a nurse practitioner and four practice nurses, two pharmacists and three healthcare assistants. Non clinical staff included a practice manager, deputy practice manager, a reception manager, and 18 reception and administration staff. The practice is training practice.

The practice is open between 8am and 6.30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and 8am until 1pm on Wednesdays. Patients do have access to extended opening hours at Adelaide Street Surgery until 8pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

When the practice is closed, patients are able to access out of hours services offered locally by the provider Fylde Coast Medical Services (FCMS). Out of hours services are available between 6.30pm and 8am Monday to Thursday, and from 6.30pm on Friday until 8am on Monday morning. Out of hours services are also available during Bank Holidays. Patients are signposted to access services offered by NHS 111 or the local Walk in Centre on Whitegate Drive when the practice is closed.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 27 May 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

This is a focused desk top review of evidence supplied by Harris Medical Centre, for one area only, staffing and recruitment, within the key question safe.

We found the practice to be good in providing safe services. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

The practice was inspected on 8 July 2015. The inspection was a comprehensive inspection under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. At that inspection, the practice was rated ‘good’ overall. However, within the key question safe, staffing and recruitment was identified as ‘requires improvement’, as the practice was not meeting the legislation at that time; Regulation 19 HSCA (RA) Regulations 2014 Fit and proper persons employed.

At the inspection in July 2015 we found that recruitment procedures were not followed and not all the required pre-employment checks were carried out prior to a new employee commencing work.

The practice supplied an action plan and a range of documents which demonstrated they are now meeting the requirements of Regulation 19 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 Fit and proper persons employed.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)

Chief Inspector of General Practice