We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Kensington Street Surgery Practice on 3 May 2017. The overall rating for the practice was good. However, a breach of regulations was found which resulted in the practice being rated as requires improvement for providing safe services. The full comprehensive report for the May 2017 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Kensington Street Surgery Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
In addition to the breach of regulation, at the inspection on 3 May 2017 we also said the practice should consider the following areas:
- Continue to improve the identification of carers on the practice register to assure themselves that carers are aware of support available to them.
- Be able to assure themselves that cleaning schedules are in place for multi-patient use clinical equipment.
- Review the arrangements for checking medical supplies at the practice are in date.
- Continue to address issues identified in the national GP survey in order to improve patient satisfaction around accessing the practice.
This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 18 April 2018 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breach of regulations that we identified at our previous inspection on 3 May 2017. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.
Overall the practice is rated as good.
At this inspection we found:
- The practice had clear systems and processes in place to manage temperature sensitive medicines.
- The practice and patient engagement lead had improved the number of carers identified at the practice and liaised with the voluntary sector to continue to identify carers. A carers’ resource offered additional support by attending the practice to hold carers events. The number of carers identified by the practice had increased but remained at just less than 1%. A carer identification protocol has been implemented.
- The practice had implemented cleaning schedules for multi-patient use clinical equipment.
- The practice reviewed the stock of medical supplies monthly to ensure they were in date and recorded this.
- The practice was using innovative methods to encourage patients to respond to the GP patient survey and had made a number of changes to improve patient satisfaction. Actions taken included PPG involvement and community engagement events to increase satisfaction with the overall experience of the surgery. Seven day a week access to a GP as part of extended hour’s access via federation membership was available. In addition patients were encouraged to complete the GP patient survey online where it could be translated into a number of different languages. An iPad supplied by the federation was also used to show visual representations of the human body to patients; with the intention of improving patients’ involvement in their consultation, and aiding communication and understanding. GP patient survey results from 2017 showed an overall improvement from 2016. For example, 100% of patients said they had confidence and trust in the last nurse they saw or spoke to.
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
- Continue to improve further the identification of carers on the practice register to assure themselves that carers are aware of support available to them.
Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice