Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced focused inspection of Magdalen Medical Practice on 8 April 2016. This inspection was undertaken to follow up a requirement notice we issued to the provider at our previous inspection of as they had failed to comply with the law in respect of providing safe care and treatment for patients, specifically in respect of the recruitment of staff.

We undertook this focused follow up inspection to check that they had followed their plan and to confirm that they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to this requirement. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports' link for on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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 Magdalen Medical Centre on 13 October 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, and addressed.
• The partners were committed to improving primary healthcare and recognised the value of research, and regularly participated in a range of studies and research initiatives.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. However fire drill were not regularly practiced by staff.
• Chronic diseases were managed by well-qualified and experienced nurses who followed guidelines.

• Patients said they were treated with empathy and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that 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 sought feedback from staff and patients.
• Improvement was needed to strengthen prescription pad security and to ensure that all prescriptions were signed for by the receiving pharmacies.

• Improvement was needed to strengthen recruitment procedures and ensure that all pre-employment information was obtained by the practice.

We saw several area of outstanding practice:

• One of the GPs had trained as a breast feeding counsellor and provided voluntary breast feeding counselling at the local hospital and children’s centre.

• One of the GPs regularly offered health promotion advice on radio Norwich.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider must:

• Ensure recruitment arrangements include all necessary employment checks for all staff.

Importantly the provider should:

• Ensure that blank prescription forms are tracked through the practice in accordance with national guidance.
• Ensure that staff regularly undertake fire drills so that they are aware of what to do in in the event of an emergency

• Confirm the immunisation status for all clinicians.

• Ensure that repeat prescriptions are signed for when received by pharmacies.

• Ensure that clinical audit cycles are completed.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice