Archived: The James Cochrane Practice Also known as Maude Street Surgery

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The James Cochrane Practice on 15 September 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and report incidents and near misses.
• Some risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• The arrangements for managing medicines, including emergency drugs and vaccinations, in the practice did not keep patients safe.
• Outcomes for patients who use services were good.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.
• Staff were consistent and proactive in supporting patients to live healthier lives through a targeted approach to health promotion. Information was provided to patients to help them understand the care and treatment available
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• The practice had a system in place for handling complaints and concerns and responded quickly to any complaints.
• Patients said they were able to get an appointment with a GP when they needed one, 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 leadership structure in place and staff felt supported by management. The practice sought feedback from staff and patients, which they acted on.
• Staff throughout the practice worked well together as a team.
• The practice was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

• The practice had led a care home project for the elderly. The aim was to provide high quality care for patients in order to reduce the likelihood of acute admission to hospital. It also aimed to ensure that patients’ end of life plans were in place so that their preferences about their place of death could be met. The practice reported that almost all (92%) patients died in accordance with their known preferences.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

• The practice must assure the appropriate and safe storage of medicines and more effective management of repeat prescriptions for patients.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Consider Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for staff who carry out chaperoning duties, and carry out risk assessments for administration staff who have not received a DBS check.
• Consider carrying out a yearly fire evacuation drill.
• Review the system in place for the checking and reading of hospital discharge letters, and letters from out of hours services.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice