Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of this practice on 16 July 2015. 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 Regulation 12 HSCA (RA) Regulations 2014 Safe Care and Treatment. We found care and treatment was not provided in a safe way for service users because some aspects of the management of medicines were unsafe. Specifically:

• Monitoring records showed some temperature sensitive medicines were being kept in a refrigerator whose temperature had exceeded the recommended safe maximum temperature. No action had been taken in response to this, and staff involved with the recording of refrigerator temperatures were not aware of the process to follow.

• The health care assistant had administered influenza vaccines to patients without using Patient Specific Directions (PSDs) that had been produced by the prescriber.

• Blank prescription forms were not always handled in accordance with national guidance, as records were not kept of the first and last serial numbers of boxes of loose-leaf blank prescriptions on receipt into the practice.

We undertook this focused inspection on 27 June 2016 to check that the provider 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 Marine Medical Group on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Our key findings were as follows:

• Care and treatment was provided in a safe way for service users through the proper and safe management of medicines for the purposes of the regulated activity.

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 Marine Medical Group on 16 July 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, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles.
• 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 were able to get an appointment with a GP when they needed one, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice offered pre-bookable early morning appointments two days per week with the GP or practice nurse, which improved access for patients who worked full time.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There was a clear leadership structure in place and staff felt supported by management. The practice sought feedback from staff and patients, which they acted on.
• Staff throughout the practice worked well together as a team.

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

The area where the provider must make improvements is:

• The practice must take action to ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way for service users through the proper and safe management of medicines.

In addition the provider should:

• Review the level of safeguarding children training to be completed by the healthcare assistant in line with the latest guidance.
• Make arrangements for a fire drill to be completed as soon as is practicably possible.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice