Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Weelsby View Health Centre - Dr Pillanna Suresh Babu on 30 June 2016. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the 30 June 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Weelsby View Health Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

We carried out a further announced comprehensive inspection at Weelsby View Health Centre - Dr Pillanna Suresh Babu on 11 April 2017. 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.
• The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise risks to patient safety.

• Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Results from the national GP patient survey showed patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients we spoke with 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 the requirements of the duty of candour. Examples we reviewed showed the practice complied with these requirements.

However, there was an area of practice where the provider needs to make improvement.

Importantly, the provider should

• Carry out clinical re-audits to ensure improvements have been achieved.

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 Weelsby Health Centre on 30 June 2016. Overall the practice is rated as requires improvement.

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

• Patients were at risk of harm because systems and processes were not in place to keep them safe. For example appropriate recruitment checks on staff had not been undertaken prior to their employment and actions identified to address concerns with infection control practice had not been taken. There was no evidence of national patient safety alerts having been actioned.
• Staff had not understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Reviews and investigations were not thorough enough.
• 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.
• Data showed patient outcomes were comparable to the national average.
• 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 was available but not everybody would be able to understand or access it. For example, there were no information leaflets available in east European languages despite 1.5% of the local population being of east European origin.
• The practice had a number of policies and procedures to govern activity, but some were undated and required review.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

• Implement formal governance arrangements including systems for assessing and monitoring risks and the quality of the service provision. To include reporting, recording, acting on and monitoring significant events, incidents and near misses.
• Take action to address identified concerns with infection prevention and control practice.
• Provide staff with appropriate policies and guidance to carry out their roles in a safe and effective manner which are reflective of the requirements of the practice.
• Ensure recruitment arrangements include all necessary employment checks for all staff.
• Implement an appropriate system for the clinical supervision of nursing staff.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Provide practice information in appropriate languages and formats.
• Carry out clinical re-audits to ensure improvements have been achieved.
• Develop a patient participation group and seek ways to engage with patients.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Patients told us they were asked for their consent prior to treatment being carried out. They said they were treated with dignity and privacy was respected. Comments included, Yes, I give my consent after I have been given advice by the doctor” and “Yes I give my verbal consent.”

Patients spoken with told us they were happy with the care and treatment they received, their privacy was respected and they were treated well. Comments included, “The reception staff are very helpful. You can go and have a private chat if you need to” and “I am happy with the care and treatment I get. The doctor has been very helpful to me.”

We found the practice was clean and tidy and there were systems in place to prevent and control the spread of infection. Comments included, “You see them washing their hands all the time and they wear gloves.”

We found medicines were stored and managed appropriately.

We found staff worked well as a team, had access to training and were supported in their roles by management. Where there were gaps in training, these had been identified and courses planned.

We found there were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided to patients. This included checks and surveys to obtain patients views so that improvements could be made.