The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • Urgent care service or mobile doctor

Archived: The Junction Health Centre

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

Arch 5-8, Clapham Junction Station, Grant Road, London, SW11 2NU (020) 3733 4079

Provided and run by:
Practice Plus Group Hospitals Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

16 March 2017

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Junction Health Centre on 16 March 2017. Overall the practice is rated as requires improvement.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • There was an open and transparent approach to safety across both the GP and walk in service and a system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
  • The practice’s systems and processes for monitoring patients prescribed high risk medicines did not always ensure patient safety.
  • There were clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise other risks to patient safety.
  • Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • Most of the results from the national GP patient survey showed patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. Although scores related to nursing care were lower than local and national averages, the practice had identified these lower scores and were taking action to improve in these areas. The service had scored highly against its performance targets for access to the walk centre.
  • The practice had only identified five patients (0.07%) with caring responsibilities on its GP patient list though we saw evidence that they were actively trying to increase identification.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
  • Patients we spoke with said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
  • The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
  • The provider was aware of the requirements of the duty of candour. Examples we reviewed showed the practice complied with these requirements.

The areas where the provider must make improvement are:

  • Improve systems for monitoring patients prescribed high risks medicines.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

  • Improve the identification of patients with caring responsibilities to be able to provide appropriate support and signposting.

  • Improve patient satisfaction with the practice nursing service and waiting times.

  • Improve uptake of national screening programmes.

  • Improve their approach to managing patients living with diabetes.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

7 February 2013

During a routine inspection

Patients we spoke with were very satisfied with the service, and told us that that they were given clear explanations about their individual treatment plan, and that staff were "very good at keeping me informed". We saw that people were spoken to with dignity and respect, and that their privacy was upheld.

Staff and patients also told us they were kept well informed about the services provided, and were given regular opportunity to provide feedback. We saw that patient experience questionnaires were readily available and completed and that there was a newly established patient forum which had been positively evaluated.

Patients told us they felt "very safe". There were clear safeguarding policies in place . All staff had completed mandatory safeguarding training for adults and children. Staff located safeguarding policies and were able to describe their individual safeguarding roles and responsibilities, as well as what to do in managing emergencies.

Staff completed a range of mandatory training and other learning and development activities. They attended daily staff meetings and other forums to communicate with management.

Staff told us there was a good working environment and that they felt listened to. We saw that there were evidence based policies in place that were kept under regular review.

There were a range of measures in place to monitor and assess quality. Areas for development and learning points were reported and acted upon.