Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Carrington House Surgery on 16 June 2016. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the June 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Carrington House Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced desk-based review carried out on 20 February 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 16 June 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is now rated as Good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• New protocols had been put in place to ensure any concerns regarding medicine fridge temperatures were dealt with immediately and in accordance with the cold chain policy.
• Staff appraisals had been brought up to date.
• Engagement and communication with staff in the practice across different staff groups had been improved.
• The practice continued to offer support to the patient participation group to ensure it met the needs of registered patients and the practice.
• A hearing loop had been installed in the practice to assist patients who use hearing aids.
• Efforts had been made to identify more patients as carers.

However, there were also areas of practice where the provider should consider improvements.

• Continue work to identify more patients as carers.

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 Carrington House Surgery on 16 June, 2016. Overall the practice is rated as requires improvement.

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, with the exception of responding when a medicine fridge temperature was recorded as being above the safe maximum temperature.

• 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.

• However, staff did not receive annual appraisals or regular line management meetings, and a number of team members told us that they did not feel fully involved in the running of the practice beyond their individual roles owing to a limited structure of formal team meetings.

• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider must make improvement are:

• Ensure to deal with any concerns regarding medicine fridge temperatures immediately, in accordance with the cold chain policy.

• Ensure that all staff have an appraisal by December 2016, and that annual appraisals take place thereafter, along with regular individual supervision sessions.

In addition, the provider should:

• Improve the engagement and communication with staff in the practice across different staff groups.

• Continue to support the role of the PPG to ensure it meets the needs of the registered patients and the practice.

• Undertake work to identify more patients as carers, and review its carers’ list regularly.

• Install a hearing loop to assist patients who use hearing aids in ensuring they hear information relayed to them by staff.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)

Chief Inspector of General Practice