Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We previously carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Tri Links Medical Centre on 27 July 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good with requires improvement for providing a safe service. The full comprehensive report on the 27 July 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Tri Links Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 6 and 14 July 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations identified at our previous inspection on 27 July 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Appropriate recruitment checks were completed on all staff employed including locum staff.
• A system had been implemented to ensure alerts were communicated to appropriate staff and appropriate actions taken.
• Learning outcomes from significant events were seen to have been shared with the wider practice team.
• The emergency medicines held at the practice had been risk assessed.
• The business continuity plan was kept off site so that access was possible should access to the building be restricted.

Further improvements included:

• Appropriate training and annual appraisals were provided for all staff.
• The provider had implemented procedures aimed at improving the uptake rates of cancer screening.
• The practice had taken steps to proactively identify more patients who also acted as carers.
• The complaints procedure had been revised to advise patients of their options should they not be satisfied with the response from the practice.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We previously carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Tri Links Medical Centre on 27 July 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good with requires improvement for providing a safe service. The full comprehensive report on the 27 July 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Tri Links Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 6 and 14 July 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations identified at our previous inspection on 27 July 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Appropriate recruitment checks were completed on all staff employed including locum staff.
• A system had been implemented to ensure alerts were communicated to appropriate staff and appropriate actions taken.
• Learning outcomes from significant events were seen to have been shared with the wider practice team.
• The emergency medicines held at the practice had been risk assessed.
• The business continuity plan was kept off site so that access was possible should access to the building be restricted.

Further improvements included:

• Appropriate training and annual appraisals were provided for all staff.
• The provider had implemented procedures aimed at improving the uptake rates of cancer screening.
• The practice had taken steps to proactively identify more patients who also acted as carers.
• The complaints procedure had been revised to advise patients of their options should they not be satisfied with the response from the practice.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

On the day of our inspection we spoke with nine patients, four members of staff and a GP. Prior to our inspection we spoke with a spokesperson from the patient participation group (PPG) who was also a patient. PPGs are an effective way for patients and GP practices to work together to improve the service and to promote and improve the quality of the care. One patient told us, “They have always been fantastic. I get into see a GP when I want to, usually the same day”. Another patient told us, “It’s very good and professional here. This is the best surgery I have been to regarding friendliness and professionalism”.

We saw that patient’s views and experiences were taken into account in the way the service was provided and that patients were treated with dignity and respect. We saw that patients experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs.

Most staff had received training in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. They were aware of the appropriate agencies to refer safeguarding concerns to ensure that patients were protected from harm. We saw that the provider did not have systems in place to ensure patients were cared for by suitably qualified professional staff.

We saw that the provider had an effective system to regularly assess and monitor the quality of the service that patients received. A spokesperson from the PPG told us, “I would put the practice amongst the top 10 percent. It is clean and friendly and they do their utmost to get you in with the doctor the same day”. There was no registered manager in place on the day of our inspection. We have asked the provider to take action to address this.