The Care Quality Commission
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  • GP practice

Archived: Judges Close Surgery Also known as Dr Brooks & Partners

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Judges Close, High Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex, RH19 3AA (01342) 317820

Provided and run by:
Judges Close Surgery

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

21 June 2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Judges Close Surgery on 1 December 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good. However, we found breaches of regulation relating to the provision of safe services. The full comprehensive report on the December 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Judges Close Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 21 June 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 1 December 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

The practice remains rated good overall and provision of safe services is now rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • Safety systems had been reviewed and updated.
  • The practice had taken action identified in their fire risk assessment by carrying out fire drills.
  • A comprehensive risk assessment of the premises had been carried out. Actions identified from the risk assessment had either been completed or scheduled.
  • Medicine fridges were kept securely in locked treatment rooms.
  • Outcomes for patients with long term conditions had improved. The practice provided us with unvalidated data to March 2017. This showed the number of patients diagnosed with dementia receiving a face to face review had increased from 77% to 84%. Overall performance for diabetes indicators had improved 2% from 96% to 98%.
  • The practice closely monitored the number of patients they removed from the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) indicators of good care for patients with long term conditions. For example, it had identified that over 30 patients diagnosed with depression had their diagnosis entered twice in their records. The patient therefore had to be excluded from the indicators for the repeat diagnosis. (QOF is a system intended to improve the quality of general practice and reward good practice).
  • The practice had conducted a patient satisfaction survey between October and December 2016. This had been completed by 211 patients. Results of the survey showed improvement on the national patients survey results published in July 2016. For example, 98% of patients surveyed by the practice said the GPs were good at listening to them compared to 88% in the last national survey completed by 112 patients.
  • The latest results from the friends and family recommendation test were from May 2017. During that month 14 patients completed the survey and eight said they were extremely likely to recommend the practice to others. The remaining six were likely to recommend the practice.

The areas where the provider should make improvement is:

  • Ensuring an appropriate system is put in place to check, and record the checks, of oxygen held for use in a medical emergency.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

1 December 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Judges Close Surgery on 1 December 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 to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. However the practice had not undertaken an up to date health and safety risk assessment of the building and fire drills had not been undertaken on a regular basis.
  • 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.
  • 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
  • Patients said 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.
  • 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 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 must make improvement are:

  • Identify a designated staff member to take the lead on health and safety and ensure they have appropriate training for the role.
  • Display an approved health and safety poster in a prominent position for all staff to see.
  • Undertake regular risk assessments of the health and safety of the premises.
  • Undertake at least one practice fire drill a year and record the results.
  • Check emergency drugs and equipment on a regular basis to ensure they are fit for use. Keep records of the checks undertaken.
  • Ensure vaccines are stored securely at all times.
  • Undertake an annual audit of infection control to ensure that infection control policies, procedures and guidance are being complied with.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

  • Establish an audit trail to demonstrate that patient safety alerts and recalls and rapid response reports issued from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have been acted on where appropriate.
  • Put measures in place to improve areas of lower than average patient satisfaction as identified in the national GP survey, for example, GPs treating patients with care and concern and involving them in decisions about their care.
  • Ensure practice performance against the quality and outcomes framework (QOF) improves in areas that have been identified as falling below the national and local averages. For example, the number of patients diagnosed with dementia who had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice