- GP practice
The Lonsdale Medical Centre
All Inspections
26 July 2017
During an inspection looking at part of the service
Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Lonsdale Medical Centre on 23 February 2016. The practice was rated as requires improvement for providing safe, services, good for providing effective, caring, responsive and well-led services and an overall rating of good. The full comprehensive report of the 23 February 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
This inspection was carried out to check that action had been taken to comply with legal requirements, ensure improvements had been made and to review the practice's ratings. Overall the practice is now rated as good.
Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:
- The practice team included a GP with an advanced qualification in mental health and this GP had helped to develop a range of protocols which improved the care and treatment given to patients with mental health conditions.
- There was an open and transparent approach to safety and a system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
- The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise 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.
- 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.
- 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 should make improvement are:
- Continue to action areas for improvement identified in the infection prevention and control audit.
- Continue to monitor uptake rates for public health screening programmes, particularly breast cancer screening, with a view to improving uptake rates.
- Continue to review patient satisfaction levels around access to services and improve processes for making appointments.
Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice
23 February 2016
During a routine inspection
Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Lonsdale Medical Centre on 23 February 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.
Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:
- There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
- Risks to patients were generally well assessed although there were no records to show that all recommended actions contained in the annual infection control audit, fire risk assessment or risk assessment for legionella had been taken.
- Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
- 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 was available and easy to understand.
- Information about how to complain was available on the practice website but was not displayed in the waiting area.
- Patients told us it was not always easy to make an appointment with a named GP although urgent appointments were usually 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 and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
- Ensure that notices advertising chaperone services are advertised clearly.
- Ensure that fire drills take place at regular intervals and that staff receive suitable fire awareness training.
- Ensure that Infection control audit records are updated when identified actions are completed.
- Ensure that recommendations contained in the Legionella risk assessment are reviewed and records kept of actions taken.
- Ensure interpreting services are advertised clearly.
- Ensure information about the practice complaints process is advertised clearly.
- Consider reviewing the Quality and Outcomes Framework exception reporting process to provide additional assurance that patients with long term conditions are regularly reviewed
Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice