Archived: Osidge Medical Practice Also known as Team Health Care Partnership (THCP Partnership)

The practice is still developing its patient participation group (PPG). New members have volunteered and the first face to face meeting will take place in the new year. The focus of patient involvement for the past four years has been on campaigning for the practice to return to its permanent location at Brunswick Park Medical Centre. This will be taking place on 23 December 2013. The provider told us that the move will give the practice an opportunity to involve patients in decisions about the running of the practice and a priority is patient feedback to improve service provision.

Most patients told us they were more than satisfied with the service provided by the practice's staff. A patient described the service as "so caring and so kind" and another patient told us "I think the staff are brilliant." Patients we spoke with told us that the practice had continued to provide a good reliable service despite the constraints they have had in relation to working from a temporary location. Patients told us that initially it had been very difficult to organise access to the practice however, staff at both practices had worked very hard to ensure that patient needs were met.

Most patients spoken with confirmed that they had been able to make an appointment to see their GP or nurse without any problems. Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure patient's safety and welfare. Assessments of patients' needs were undertaken and recorded.

There were arrangements in place to deal with medical emergencies. Staff had training annually in life support techniques. We saw certificates for all staff. Staff were able to explain how emergencies were dealt with in the practice. Emergency drugs were available in the practice. There was evidence that these drugs were checked on a monthly basis and were within date.

Several patients we spoke with told us they had been referred to other services and appropriate information about their condition had been shared by the GPs. One patient told us they had received 'excellent treatment for their arthritis,' including a prompt initial referral to a specialist service.

Patients were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening. Patients told us they felt safe using the service and had confidence in the doctors and nurses at the practice.

Bins used for discarding sharp instruments, such as needles, were safely positioned in consultation and treatment rooms. We saw that these had not been over-filled. Clinical waste was separated according to the procedure and was collected for disposal by a contractor every two weeks. In between collections, clinical waste was stored in a locked bin outside the building. These measures protected people against the risk of infection.

Arrangements were in place for the management of medicines at the practice.