Our inspection of 14th November 2013 and 19th November 2013 found that improvements were needed to the staff recruitment procedure and practices to ensure patients received care and treatment from staff who were suitable for their role. Improvements were also needed to the recording, handling and safe keeping of medication to ensure patients were protected against the risks associated with medicines. We carried out this visit to ensure these improvements had been made. We found that appropriate action had been taken.

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Campbell & Partners Tarporley Health Centre on 15 and 22 November 2016.

Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• There were systems in place to reduce risks to patient safety, for example, the practice ensured equipment was checked to ensure it was safe to use and there were sufficient numbers of staff to meet the needs of patients.

• Staff understood their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. Staff spoken with knew how to identify and report safeguarding concerns.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.

• Staff told us they felt well supported. They received an annual appraisal and had access to the training they needed for their roles.

• Patients were overall positive about the care and treatment they received from the practice. The National Patient Survey July 2016 showed that patients’ responses about whether they were treated with respect, compassion and involved in decisions about their care and treatment were comparable to local and national averages.

• Services were planned and delivered to take into account the needs of different patient groups.

• The National GP Patient Survey results showed that patient’s satisfaction with access to care and treatment was generally in line with local and national averages.

• Information about how to complain was available. There was a system in place to manage complaints.

• There were systems in place to monitor and improve quality and identify risk.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Involve the wider staff team in discussions about the actions to be taken following significant events and record annual reviews of significant events to demonstrate that actions taken were effective and any trends have been appropriately identified and addressed.
• Review the management of vaccine fridges to ensure staff are adhering to the protocol for the safe management of vaccines.

• The security of prescriptions should be reviewed as some were left in printers in rooms which were not locked.

• Checks of controlled drugs should be performed by two staff members to reduce the risks of mishandling or significant events remaining unnoticed.

• A clear process to follow for identifying a person collecting a prescription on behalf of a patient should be introduced.

• Medication at the Waverton branch should be passed to patients through the reception window to improve medication security.

• The system for ensuring staff receive regular training updates should be improved.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice