Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Owlthorpe Medical Centre on 6 September 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good with requires improvement in safe. The full comprehensive report from 6 September 2016 can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Owlthorpe Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 24 April 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breach in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 6 September 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is rated good. Specifically, following the focused inspection we found the practice to be rated good for providing safe services.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice had implemented a system to track and monitor the movement of blank prescriptions within the practice in line with the NHS Protect Safety of Prescriptions Forms Guidance.

• Patient Group Directives (PGD’s) had been signed by the practice nurses and the authorising representative of the practice allowing the practice nurses to administer medicines in line with legislation.

• A fire drill had been carried out on 20 April 2017. A diarised system to ensure this was completed annually had been implemented.

• A system to check the emergency oxygen cylinder and the defibrillator weekly had been implemented to ensure emergency equipment was in good working order.

• Clinical and full staff meetings had been formalised. A rota of meetings had been scheduled throughout the year and minutes of these meetings were produced and available to all staff.

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 Owlthorpe Medical Centre on 6 September 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and a system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and mostly well managed although there were some shortfalls with regard to medicines management, fire safety and monitoring of emergency equipment.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and 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 leadership structure in place and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

• The practice had arranged, in conjunction with the local authority, a door to door bus service for patients who were unable to easily access the practice. The practice had implemented this as it recognised there was no public transport facilities that passed by the practice and patients who did not have their own transport and were less mobile may struggle to access services. 

The areas where the provider must make improvement are:

• Ensure systems for controlling and recording the movement of blank prescriptions and prescription pads within the practice are in line with the NHS Protect Safety of Prescription Forms Guidance.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Patient Group Directives (PGD’s) should be signed by the authorising representative of the practice.

• Carry out annual fire drills as identified as an action in their own fire risk assessment.

• Review the risk assessment completed for non clinical staff who perform chaperone duties to ensure the risks and mitigating actions are clearly identified.

• Implement a system to regularly check the oxygen cylinder and the battery and pads of the defibrillator to ensure the equipment was in good working order inbetween the annual service.

• Consider formalising the clinical and staff meetings so there is a clear record of items discussed and decisions made.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice