This practice is rated as requires improvement overall (previous rating under former provider December 2015 – good).

The key questions at this inspection are rated as:

Are services safe? – Requires improvement

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Requires improvement

Are services well-led? – Requires improvement

We carried out an announced inspection at Mallard Medical Practice on 7 November 2018 as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

• The practice had some systems in place to manage risk. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
• The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care they provided. They ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
• There was a focus on continuous learning and improvement; although learning was not always shared across the whole practice team.
• The practice had effective arrangements in place to monitor prescribing and usage of hypnotic type medicines (to aid sleeping); prescribing rates were much lower than local and national averages.
• The practice’s medicines management arrangements were effective but vaccines and blank prescriptions were not always stored securely.
• Some staff had not received appropriate training.
• Patients had not always been advised of cancelled appointments.
• Arrangements for the confidentiality of records and data management systems were not always robust.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

• Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.
• Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Develop a system to provide assurance that clinical staff employed by the practice remain registered with their professional body.
• Review the practice’s appointments system; continue to look for ways to improve how patients can access services and prevent errors when appointments are cancelled.
• Take steps to ensure staff undertake fire safety and children’s safeguarding training.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice

Please refer to the detailed report and the evidence tables for further information.