Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Gadhvi Practice on 24 October 2016. Overall the practice is rated as inadequate.
Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:
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Systems for managing patients laboratory test results did not assure patients safety.
- There was no recording structure or significant events management protocol in place. However, significant events lessons were shared and actions taken to improve safety
- Arrangements for safeguarding were satisfactory but there were gaps in safety systems and processes such as premises and equipment cleaning and maintenance, medicines management and chaperoning.
- Not all risks to patients were assessed and well managed including: staff recruitment checks, control of substances hazardous to health (COSHH) and fire safety.
- The practice did not have adequate arrangements in place to respond to a medical emergency, the first aid kit contents were incomplete or expired, and the defibrillator was shared with another practice, had a low battery and there was no system to ensure it remained fit for use.
- Fail safe systems for patients cervical screening and checking emergency medicines had lapsed and items in the practice had expired or were no longer in sterile packaging, including needles and syringes.
- Data generally showed patient outcomes were comparable to the national average but some exception reporting rates were higher than average and several GP Patient survey scores for patient access and practice nursing were below average. No effective action had been taken to improve.
- The practice had a number of policies and procedures to govern activity but some were undated, incomplete or not implemented. For example, as indicated on pages 14,15, and 16 of this report.
- The practice had no clear leadership and management structure but staff felt supported and knew the values of the practice were to be caring and put patients first.
- The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.
The areas where the provider must make improvements are:
- Establish effective systems for managing risks to patient’s safety including premises and equipment safety, medicines, patient’s laboratory test results including failsafes for cervical screening, and in the event of a medical emergency.
- Establish effective systems and processes to assess, monitor and improve quality with reference to national GP patient’s survey results and including reviewing procedures.
- Ensure patients consent is appropriately sought and recorded.
- Ensure staff are appropriately inducted and trained.
- Implement all necessary employment checks for all staff.
In addition the provider should:
- Review the business continuity plan.
- Improve arrangements for deaf or hard of hearing patients, identification of and supporting carers, and health for checks for patients with a learning disability.
- Seek to further understand or improve its higher exception reporting rates.
- Consider reviewing arrangements for staff DBS checks and Mental Capacity Act training for clinicians.
I am placing this service in special measures. Where a service is rated as inadequate for one of the five key questions or one of the six population groups or overall and after re-inspection has failed to make sufficient improvement, and is still rated as inadequate for any key question or population group, we place it into special measures.
Services placed in special measures will be inspected again within six months. If, after re-inspection, the service has failed to make sufficient improvement, and is still rated as inadequate for any population group, key question or overall, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating the service. This will lead to cancelling their registration or varying the terms of their registration within six months if they do not improve.
The service will be kept under review and if needed could be escalated to urgent enforcement action. Where necessary, another inspection will be conducted within a further six months, and if there is not enough improvement we will move to close the service.
Special measures will give people who use the service the reassurance that the care they get should improve.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice