Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Brentford Family Practice on 6 October 2016. The practice was rated as requires improvement for providing safe services as electrical equipment in the administrator’s room had not been tested for safety in the last annual review. The practice was rated as requires improvement for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia) as performance for mental health related indicators was below the local and national average and exception reporting was high. The practice was rated as good overall. The full comprehensive report on the October 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Brentford Family Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was a desk-based review carried out on 25 January 2018 to confirm that the practice had addressed the concerns we identified at our previous inspection on 6 October 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those recommendations made since our last inspection. The practice is now rated as good for providing safe services and good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).

Overall the practice remains rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice had taken steps to ensure electrical equipment in the administrator’s room was safe to use.
• The practice had demonstrated improvement in the care provided to people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). For example:
• The practice had appointed a member of staff as the mental health lead for the practice. Patients were recalled for an annual review of their condition with longer appointments allocated for these reviews.
• The GPs had received recent training in the management and care of patients with mental health conditions.
• Patients experiencing poor metal health were offered a joint review at the practice with their GP and the primary care plus mental health team, which included a consultant psychiatrist and mental health nurse.
• The most recent published Quality Outcome Framework (QOF) results showed performance for mental health related indicators was comparable to the clinical commissioning group (CCG) and national averages. (QOF is a system intended to improve the quality of general practice and reward good practice).
• Ninety one percent of patients diagnosed with dementia had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the previous 12 months (CCG average 85%; national 84%).
• Ninety one percent of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses had a comprehensive, agreed care plan documented in the previous 12 months (CCG 88%; national 90%).
• Ninety one percent of patients experiencing poor mental health had received discussion and advice about alcohol consumption (CCG 93%; national 91%)
• Ninety eight percent of patients experiencing poor mental health had received discussion and advice about smoking cessation (CCG 96%; national 95%).

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Brentford Family Practice on 6 October 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.
• 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 should make improvement are:

• Implement systems and process to ensure that electrical equipment is tested at regular intervals

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice