The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • Out of hours GP service

Archived: Bexley Health Neighbourhood Care GP Hub (BHNC GP Hub) at Erith and District Hospital

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

Park Crescent, Erith, Kent, DA8 3EE (020) 8298 1965

Provided and run by:
Bexley Health Neighbourhood Care C.I.C.

All Inspections

24 May 2021

During an inspection looking at part of the service

This service is rated as Requires improvement overall. (Previous inspection 06 2019 – Requires improvement)

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Requires improvement

Are services effective? – Requires improvement

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Bexley Health Neighbourhood Care GP Hub (BHNC GP Hub) at Erith and District Hospital on 24 May 2021. This inspection was carried out as part of our inspection programme and to follow up on breaches of Regulation 12 Safe care and treatment and Regulation 17 Good governance.

How we carried out the inspection

Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, considering the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections differently.

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements.

This included:

  • Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing and questionnaire
  • Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider
  • Requesting evidence from the provider
  • A short site visit

Our findings

  • The service had risk management arrangements in place, although some were only recently established.
  • The service took a responsive approach in dealing with safety incidents, learning from them and using them to improve their processes, but the preventative element to incidents management was not in place.
  • The service did not routinely review the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. This meant they could not be consistently assured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
  • Patients were able to access care and treatment from the service within an appropriate timescale for their needs.

The areas where the provider must make improvements as they are in breach of regulations are:

  • Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care

15 May 2019

During a routine inspection

This service is rated as requires improvement overall.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Requires Improvement

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Requires Improvement

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Bexley Health Neighbourhood Care GP Hub (BHNC GP Hub) at Erith and District Hospital on 15 May 2019. This inspection was carried out as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

  • The service had good systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When they did happen, the service learned from them and improved their processes.
  • The provider had systems to keep clinicians up to date with current evidence-based practice.
  • Staff involved and treated people with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
  • Patients were able to access care and treatment from the service within an appropriate timescale for their needs.
  • The provider did not have oversight of health and safety risks in relation to the premises.
  • There was limited evidence of quality improvement activity in relation to clinical care and treatment
  • There was a lack of management assurance and oversight that proper staff records were maintained and kept up to date.

The areas where the provider must make improvements as they are in breach of regulations are:

  • Ensure that care and treatment is provided in a safe way.
  • Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • Continue to review their arrangements for ensuring staff had up to date training.
  • Continue to review their arrangements for the completion of quality improvement activities.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care