Wincanton Health Centre

This practice is rated as Good overall. (May 2019)

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Wincanton Health Centre on 29 May 2019. This comprehensive inspection was carried out to follow up on breaches of regulations and areas identified as for improvement at the inspection of the service July 2018. We had rated the key questions of safe and effective and the patient population groups of people with long-term conditions and mental health needs as requires improvement. We had implemented one regulatory requirement, Regulation 12 – Safe care and treatment and a small number of areas the provider should take action to improve.

These were:

• The provider must have the necessary information for the recruitment and immunisation of staff and ensure sufficient staff were employed to meet patient’s needs.
• The provider must have safe systems in place for fire safety, risk assessments, infection control, medicines, prescription paper security and chemicals stored and used at the practice.
• The provider should continue with a full programme to provide staff with the necessary training for health and safety.
• The practice should continue to resolve meeting the needs of the patients with long term conditions and with mental health concerns.

At the inspection on 29 May 2019 we found:

• There were safe systems in place for fire safety, checks for safe equipment, including calibration, training for persons undertaking health and safety audits and risk assessments, for infection prevention and control and for chemicals used by the practice.
• Medicines were stored and managed safely. New systems and protocols were in place to manage oxygen to ensure sufficient was available to respond to medical emergencies.
• There was a system of safe storage and handling of prescription stationery.
• Employment records had been reviewed and updated to ensure the necessary information was retained regarding staff transferred to the provider organisation such as training, skills and qualifications. Where information could not be obtained this was monitored and risk assessed.
• There was a system to monitor and address the level of clinical staff available required to maintain meeting the patients’ needs including patients with long term conditions, mental health and dementia.
• There was a process for managing and sharing safety alerts.
• Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
• The practice staff were responsive to meeting patients’ needs which included the work carried out by health coaches to improve patient’s wellbeing and for the practice to be part of the local community.

Areas where the provider should continue to develop:

• The practice should continue to sustain the progress they had made in meeting the needs of the patients with long term conditions, mental health concerns and cervical screening.
• The practice should continue to proactively identify carers in order to provide them with appropriate support.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

This practice is rated as Requires Improvement overall. (September 2018)

We carried out an announced focused inspection at Wincanton Health Centre on 8 February 2019. This inspection was carried out to follow up on breaches of regulations and areas identified as for improvement where we had rated the key questions of safe and effective and the patient population groups of people with long-term conditions and mental health needs as requires improvement. We had implemented one regulatory requirement, Regulation 12 – Safe care and treatment and a small number of areas the provider should take action to improve.

These were:

Safe.

• The provider must have the necessary information available to support that staff have been recruited appropriately and suitable for their role and that the information regarding their immunisation status is sought and kept.
• The provider must monitor and address the gaps in clinical staff available required to maintain meeting the patient’s needs including patients with long term conditions and mental health needs.
• The provider must have safe systems in place for fire safety, training for persons undertaking risk assessments, infection control and chemicals stored and used at the practice.
• The provider must continue with assessing and putting actions in place to ensure medicines are stored safely and that sufficient stock of Oxygen is kept at the practice.
• The provider must continue to review the safe storage and handling of prescription stationery.
• The provider should continue with having an effective system for responding and investigating significant events.

Effective:

• The provider should continue with a full programme to provide staff with the necessary training for health and safety.
• The practice should continue to resolve meeting the needs of the patients with long term conditions and with mental health concerns.

In other areas:

• The provider should continue to review and embed policies and procedures.
• The practice should continue to proactively identify carers and respond to patient feedback regarding access.

At this inspection we found:

• The practice had implemented safe systems that had been sustained to manage risks associated with the recruitment and employment of staff, fire safety, health and safety, medicines management, and safe prescription paper handling.
• Improvements in the system for responding to and investigating significant events had been sustained.
• The practice employed sufficient suitably skilled and experience staff to meet patients’ needs including patients with long-term conditions and mental health needs.
• Policies and procedures and a system of governance had been implemented and embedded.

Areas where the provider should continue to develop:

• The practice should continue to resolve meeting the needs of the patients with long term conditions and with mental health concerns.
• The practice should continue to proactively identify carers.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice