Archived: i-GP

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at i-GP on 17 January 2017. i-GP is an online service that patients can use to access a prescription for medication to treat illnesses from a set list of 25 conditions.

We found this service provided caring, responsive and well led services in accordance with the relevant regulations but was not providing safe or effective care in line with the relevant regulations.

Our key findings were:

• Patients could access a brief description of the GPs available.
• Systems were in place to protect personal information about patients. i-GP was registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office.
• Prescribing was monitored to prevent any misuse of the service by patients and to ensure GPs were prescribing appropriately.
• There were systems in place to mitigate safety risks including analysing and learning from significant events.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.
• There were appropriate recruitment checks in place for all staff.
• Patients were treated in line with best practice guidance and appropriate medical records were maintained.
• Information about services and how to complain was available. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints.
• There were clear business strategy plans in place.
• There were clinical governance systems and processes in place to ensure the quality of service provision.
• The service encouraged and acted on feedback from both patients and staff.
• Policies were available to staff but some were generic and not service specific.
• There was a lack of consideration to safeguarding within the service. The safeguarding policy was not service specific.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

• Ensure safeguarding systems and processes are established and operated effectively.
• The provider must ensure that nationally recognised guidance about delivering safe care and treatment is implemented.
• The service must have a robust system in place to verify the identity of patient.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Policies should be more specific to the service and contain relevant information.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice