Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of this practice on 20 November 2014. A breach of legal requirements was found. After the comprehensive

inspection, the practice wrote to us to say what they would do to meet legal requirements in relation to ensuring robust processes were in place for the

dispensing and management of medicines. The practice did not have appropriate arrangements in place for managing medicines. The practice held stocks

of controlled drugs (medicines that require extra checks and special storage arrangements because of their potential for misuse) and had in place standard

procedures that set out how they were managed. However these procedures were not consistently followed by the practice staff. The practice made information available to us. We undertook a desk top 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 those requirements.

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 Manor Farm Medical Centre on 02 February 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, well-led, effective, caring and responsive services. It was also good for providing services for older people, people with long term conditions, families, children and young people, working age people (including those recently retired and students), people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable, and people experiencing poor mental health.

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, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed, with the exception of those relating to recruitment checks.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
• 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.
• 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 proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

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

Action the provider MUST take to improve

The provider must ensure the recruitment policy is consistently followed in practice to ensure that staff were suitable to carry out the work they were employed to do. Ensure staff are employed with relevant background checks carried out.

Action the provider SHOULD take to improve:

• Ensure staff receive training appropriate to their roles, and any training needs are identified and planned. For example, infection control, and health and safety.

• Complete Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) and health and safety risk assessments to ensure safe systems, processes and practice.

• Dispensing staff should acknowledge and sign up to the written safe operating procedures for dealing with dispensing errors.

• Ensure the cabinet used to store controlled drugs at Manor Farm Medical Centre, conforms to the requirements of the Misuse of Drugs (Safe Custody) Regulations (1973)

• Establish up a system to oversee that the practice nurses and GPs remained fit to practice with their relevant professional body, prior to their employment and on an annual basis.

• Ensure staff appraisals are held regularly to review performance and learning and development needs.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice