- GP practice
Danbury Medical Centre
Report from 6 March 2024 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of assessment: 30 May to 17 July 2024. We conducted this assessment due to receiving information of concern. We assessed 11 quality statements across the safe, effective, responsive and well-led key questions and have combined the scores for these areas with scores from the last inspection. The assessment included completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system (this was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements). Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider. Requesting evidence from the provider, speaking with staff and visiting the main location At this assessment we found that leaders had implemented new systems, practices, and processes to help keep people safe but these were in their infancy. The practice had a system for appropriate and safe use of medicines and was developing this to demonstrate it was effective. Prior to the assessment the practice had not identified all outstanding patient medicine reviews which were apparent in the CQC clinical searches. Once identified the practice took action to respond to these and embed new systems. The practice had not consistently learned from significant events and was taking action to sustain and embed improvements in this area. Referral processes were not consistently effective but action was being taken to mitigate this risk through the introduction of a specific team to review tasks and referrals. Managers investigated concerns appropriately but learning was not always shared to make and embed improvement. Action had been taken to address this. Patients did not always find it easy to access the practice by telephone however, the practice had introduced new systems and processes to address this and were monitoring these to measure improvements. The leaders had recently changed the governance at the practice and introduced monthly patient safety meetings.
People's experience of this service
GP patient survey (GPPS) feedback found that patients could not access care and treatment in a timely way. Patients were not satisfied with the arrangement for getting through to the practice by phone or with their experience of obtaining an appointment. In 2024, 295 surveys were sent out to patients, 124 were completed and sent back. This represents approximately 0.5% of the patient list. The survey found 21% of respondents stated it was easy to access the practice by telephone. This was an upward trend as in 2023 only 13% of respondents were positive. 24% of respondents found it easy to contact the practice via their website, compared to the England average of 48% and 20% found it easy to access the practice via the NHS app, compared to an England average of 45%.49% of respondents were satisfied with the overall experience of the practice. Compared to the England average of 74%. 78% of respondents stated the healthcare professional was good at listening to them and 77% of respondents stated the healthcare professional was good at treating the patient with care and concern. In addition, 88% of patients had confidence and trust in the health care professional they saw or spoke to compared to the England average of 92%. CQC received 8 complaints in the last 6 months to the start of this assessment. Access to appointments was indicated in 5 of these. The practice submitted their friends and family test responses for April 2024. Out of 820 patient’s responses 755 stated their experience of the practice was either very good or good.