Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Harwood Medical Centre on 24 October 2016. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the 24 October 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Harwood Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focussed inspection carried out on 23 May 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 24 October 2016.

At this inspection we found that sufficient improvement had been achieved to update the rating for provision of safe and well-led services to good. The practice had addressed the breaches of regulation and was now compliant with all regulations. This report covers our findings in relation to those improvements.

Overall the practice is now rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The systems to manage significant events were now improved.

• All staff were trained in safeguarding procedures to the appropriate level and were aware of the practice safeguarding leads.

• There were systems in place to monitor patient quality outcomes.

• Staff had completed training relevant to their role.

• All clinical staff had full medical indemnity insurance.

• Patient group directives were now signed by the appropriate member of staff.

• All staff were aware of the locations of the defibrillator and emergency drugs kit.

• All staff were informed about the business continuity plan and how to find this on the practice IT system.

• The vaccine fridge temperatures were now checked and documented daily.

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 Harwood Medical Centre on 24 October 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.
• 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.
• Some 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:

• Ensure all staff are aware of what constitutes a significant event and that they are reported through a clinical governance system.

• Ensure all staff have the correct level of safeguarding training.

• Review and improve the systems in place to effectively monitor and improve patient quality outcomes and ensure the practice has a strategy in place to achieve this.

• Review training within the practice and ensure all staff have completed training relevant to their role.

• Ensure that all clinical staff have medical indemnity insurance in place

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Review the Patient Group Directions to make certain they are all signed.

• All staff should be aware of the location of the defibrillator and emergency drugs kit.

• All staff should know the location of practice policies and have an awareness of the business continuity plan.

• All staff should be aware of who the safeguarding leads are.

• All vaccine fridge temperatures should be checked and documented daily.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice