Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Thamesmead Medical Associates PMS on 15 November 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 an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• 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 clear leadership structure 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.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Improve telephone access to ensure patients can access appointments when required.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We did not speak with patients during this inspection. We carried out this inspection to determine if the provider had taken action to address the areas where we found non-compliance during our last inspection in August 2013.

Our last inspection of 12 August 2013 found that there were improvements required in the management of medicines and the arrangements for staff recruitment. During this inspection we found that the provider had taken action to address these issues. The provider implemented a new schedule of checks for their resuscitation bags, nebuliser rooms, and other consultation rooms. A new policy was also developed to reflect the changes made to checking of their emergency medicines and equipment.

The provider had also updated their recruitment policy, reviewed and updated staff records, ensuring missing items of information were now in place.

We inspected the surgeries at Gallions Reach Health centre and Heronsgate health centre and spoke with people at both locations.

Most people we spoke with were happy with the service received from the GPs at the practice. A person told us they received "excellent care" from the doctors and another person told us that the treatment given met their needs. One person said that reception staff were "very nice and helpful" but a small number of people commented that reception staff could be abrupt. We found that people were given information about their treatment in most cases and care was planned and delivered in a way that met people's individual needs.

The surgery had arrangements in place to protect vulnerable adults and children from abuse and monitored the quality of the service they provided. However medication was not always handled correctly and recruitment procedures were not in place to ensure only suitable people were employed by the practice.