Archived: Urgent Care Centre Oadby & Wigston Walk-In Medical Centre Also known as Leicestershire and Rutland Urgent Care (LRUC)

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an unannounced focussed inspection at Oadby and Wigston Walk-In Medical Centre on 31 March 2016. The inspection was carried out because we had

received information of concern relating to the safe storage, stock control and responsibility for managing medicines, infection control procedures, managing emergencies and equipment, safeguarding and learning from significant events. Concerns were also raised regarding safe staffing levels, complaints management and governance procedures.

We found the service was not meeting some of the fundamental standards and had breached regulations.

Our key findings were as follows:

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events although some staff were not aware of the process.
• 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.

• The complaints policy and procedures were in line with recognised guidance and contractual obligations for GPs in England. Information about services and how to complain was not available for patients within the practice.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.

• Medicines were stored securely but were not easily accessible to all staff. Some medicines were past their expiry dates.

• Processes were lacking for checking the expiry dates of stored medicines, the medicines fridge temperature, security of blank prescription forms and the emergency equipment.

The areas where the provider must make improvement are:

• Implement a process to ensure that patient safety alerts are acted upon and the process is audited to show continued actions are taken for patients to receive treatment in accordance with best practice.

• Ensure that emergency equipment and oxygen is checked to see if it is in date and fit for use.

• Ensure that emergency medicines are easily accessible to all members of staff and processes are in place to check the expiry dates of medicines and to monitor the medicines fridge temperature. Ensure blank prescriptions are stored securely at all times and there is a system in place to monitor the use of the blank prescription forms.

• Improve security at the reception desk to ensure the public do not have access to patient information and paper records.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Ensure all staff are aware of how to access policies and procedures and know how to log incidents and significant events.

• Be clear who the infection control lead is and ensure that clinical waste is disposed of correctly.

• Remove equipment that was left by the previous provider that is not for current use.

• Formalise the process for identifying if a patient requires a GP or nurse consultation.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice