Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Herschel Medical Centre on 23 November 2016. We carried out this inspection to check that the practice was meeting the regulations and to consider whether sufficient improvements had been made.

Our previous inspection in May 2016 found breaches of regulations relating to the safe, effective and responsive delivery of services. There were also concerns and regulatory breaches relating to the governance and leadership of the practice, specifically in the well led domain. The overall rating of the practice in May 2016 was requires improvement. Specifically, the practice was rated require improvement for provision of safe, effective, responsive and well-led services in May 2016. It was good for providing caring service. Following the inspection, we received an action plan which set out what actions the practice would take to achieve compliance.

At the inspection in November 2016, we found the practice had made improvements since our last inspection in May 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good. Specifically, we found the practice good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led services.

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.
• Data showed the practice had demonstrated improvements in patient’s outcomes. Audits had been carried out and we saw evidence that audits were driving improvement in patient outcomes.
• 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.
• The patients we spoke with on the day of inspection informed us they had noticed improvements in the availability of appointments.
• 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 improvements are:

• Continue to review and improve the waiting time it takes to get through to the practice by telephone.
• Review and monitor the system in place to continue encouraging the uptake for the bowel screening programme.

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 Herschel Medical Centre on 23 November 2016. We carried out this inspection to check that the practice was meeting the regulations and to consider whether sufficient improvements had been made.

Our previous inspection in May 2016 found breaches of regulations relating to the safe, effective and responsive delivery of services. There were also concerns and regulatory breaches relating to the governance and leadership of the practice, specifically in the well led domain. The overall rating of the practice in May 2016 was requires improvement. Specifically, the practice was rated require improvement for provision of safe, effective, responsive and well-led services in May 2016. It was good for providing caring service. Following the inspection, we received an action plan which set out what actions the practice would take to achieve compliance.

At the inspection in November 2016, we found the practice had made improvements since our last inspection in May 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good. Specifically, we found the practice good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led services.

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.
• Data showed the practice had demonstrated improvements in patient’s outcomes. Audits had been carried out and we saw evidence that audits were driving improvement in patient outcomes.
• 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.
• The patients we spoke with on the day of inspection informed us they had noticed improvements in the availability of appointments.
• 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 improvements are:

• Continue to review and improve the waiting time it takes to get through to the practice by telephone.
• Review and monitor the system in place to continue encouraging the uptake for the bowel screening programme.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Patients we spoke with told us staff treated them with respect and dignity and that their privacy was always persevered. People that we spoke with made positive comments about how they had been met and greeted by polite and attentive staff. Some comments included “All the staff treat me with respect”, “They (Staff) are always very polite and explain everything properly” and “The staff are friendly and courteous.”

Patients were satisfied with the care and treatment they had received from their GP and from the nursing team. One patient told us “I have been using the Herschel Medical Centre for a long time, earlier getting an appointment was difficult but now it’s much better. They have tried different ways to improve this over the years.” Another patient told us “I have not had many issues with getting an appointment…the booking in advance arrangement is very good.”

Patients told us they felt safe when attending the surgery and they were confident in the conduct of the GPs and nurses working at the surgery. One patient told us “I feel very safe at the surgery, no concerns there.” Another patient said “I have never been concerned about my safety when visiting the practice.”

The provider was unable to demonstrate that sufficient recruitment checks had taken place putting patients at risk of receiving a service from staff who were not suitably vetted.

Patients we spoke with did not express any concern about the care and treatment they had received.