Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Newport Medical Group on 25 March and 29 April 2015. We found the practice was in breach of legal requirements. The breaches related to Regulation 12 Health & Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 Safe care and treatment.

Following the inspection the practice wrote to us to say what they would do to meet the legal requirements.

We undertook this focused inspection on 14 April 2016 to check that they had followed their plan and to confirm that they now met the 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 Newport Medical Group on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

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

• Patient Group Directives for nurses to administer medicines were up to date and relevant.

• Patients are made aware when appointments are booked with the Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) and not a GP.

• Chaperone policy was reviewed to ensure consistency.

• Appropriate cleaning systems were put in place to monitor if cleaning was being done according to standards set by the practice.

  There was an assistant practice manager who had taken over many responsibilities within the practice

• The practice complaints policy was reviewed and appropriate system were put in place to respond to complaints in a timely manner.

• The practice had reviewed it whistle blowing policy to ensure it was adequate.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We inspected this service on 25 March 2015 as part of our new comprehensive inspection programme.

The overall rating for this service is good. We found the practice to be rated as good in providing, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services. However, we have found the practice to require improvement in respect of providing safe care. We found the practice provided good care to older people, people with long term conditions, families, children and young people, the working age population and those recently retired, people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable and people experiencing poor mental health.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Incidents were being reported and learning shared with staff. However, directives for nurses to administer medicines were not current

• Patient care was provided by staff who had received appropriate training. The practice worked with other health and care providers to deliver co-ordinated care.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.

• The practice had appropriate skill mix of staff team with expertise and experience in a range of health conditions.

• Evidence we reviewed demonstrated that patients were satisfied with how they were treated and that this was with compassion, dignity and respect.

• The practice was proactive in helping people with long term conditions to manage their health and had arrangements in place to make sure their health was monitored regularly.

• The practice had an open culture that was effective and encouraged staff to share their views through staff meetings and significant event meetings.

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

Importantly, the provider must:

• Must ensure medicine directives are current and within guidance.

The provider should:

• Ensure patients are made aware when appointments are booked with the advanced nurse practitioner and not a GP.
• Ensure a consistent approach is followed when staff carry out the role of a chaperone.
• Ensure systems are in place to monitor if cleaning by cleaners is being done according to standards set by the practice.
• Ensure all audits are dated and action identified and followed up.
• Ensure action actions recognised following legionella risk assessment are being implemented.
• Ensure staff are enabled to fulfil their roles adequately
• Review the complaint policy and ensure appropriate mechanisms in place to action complaints when the lead is on leave.

• Ensure the whistle blowing policy is reviewed to include third party contact details.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice