Memorial Medical Centre

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Memorial Medical Centre on the 19 January 2017. The overall rating for the practice was good. However, the practice was rated as requires improvement for providing safe services. The full comprehensive report on the January 2017 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Memorial Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 10 August 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is now rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• There were appropriate arrangements for identifying, recording and managing risks and implementing mitigating actions.
• The practice had an up to date fire risk assessment and carried out regular fire drills. There were designated fire marshals within the practice. There was a fire evacuation plan and the practice had identified how staff could support patients with mobility problems to vacate the premises.
• Emergency medicines were easily accessible to staff in a secure area of the practice and staff knew of their location.
• The practice had implemented an action plan to improve access to ensure that patients were able to book appointments that suited their needs. At our previous inspection 67% of patients were able to get an appointment to see or speak with someone the last time they tried. This has improved to 73% compared to the local average of 76% and the national average of 84%.
• The number of carers identified by the practice had increased from 68 at our last inspection in January to 132 (1% of the practice list). Written information was available to direct carers to the various avenues of support available to them. A member of staff acted as a carers’ champion to help ensure that the various services supporting carers were coordinated and effective.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Memorial Medical Centre on 19 January 2017. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• There was an effective system for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were not always assessed and well managed, specifically relating to health and safety as well as fire safety.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment. However, not all staff were up to date with fire safety training.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they did not find it easy to make an appointment with a named GP. The practice had developed an action plan to improve patient access to appointments. However, this had not been effective.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• The arrangements for governance and performance management were not always operated effectively.
• 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 and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

However, there were also areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly, the provider must:

• Review risk management activities to ensure that the practice identifies and reduces, where possible, all health and safety risks to patients, staff and visitors.
• Review fire safety management and ensure that actions to reduce fire safety risks are implemented in a timely manner. For example, fire safety training for all staff and regular fire drills.

Additionally the provider should:

• Review processes for storing emergency medicines to make them more easily accessible to staff in an emergency.
• Continue to identify patients who are also carers to help ensure they are offered appropriate support.
• Improve access to ensure that patients are able to book appointments that suit their needs.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice