Archived: Kinson Road Medical Centre

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Kinson Road Medical Centre on Wednesday 6 July 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 assessed and well managed.
• The practice were proactive in the care of their patient’s needs, For example, the practice was part of the North Bournemouth Poly-pharmacy review project which had seen more than 100 patients having their medicines reviewed.
• Patients over the age of 75 had access to a specialist nurse as part of the local North Bournemouth project. This meant that GPs were able to refer to this service where there is an identified gap in community services provision, for example where a routine BP check is required and patient is unable to access the practice.
• 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.
• The practice had strong links with community matrons and district nurses to support the care management of patients with long term conditions. Patients were discussed at monthly Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) meetings where practitioners shared information to support improvements in health and wellbeing. The district nursing team were in the process of moving to the practice to strengthen communication and the delivery of care to patients further.
• One of the GPs offered an Epidural injection service for patients from the practice and nearby practices who were suffering with long term back pain.
• Feedback from the national patient was in line or slightly below national averages. However, feedback on the day of the inspection was overwhelmingly positive. 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 found it easy to make an appointment with a GP, although added there was sometimes a delay getting an appointment with a named GP. There was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day. The practice had recognised that 58% of the practice patients were aged between 19 and 65 years old and had provided extended hours each week opening at 7:30am on Monday and Friday mornings, as well as access to GP’s until 19:00 on a Monday evening.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. The practice was clean, tidy and hygienic. We found that suitable arrangements were in place that ensured the cleanliness of the practice was maintained to a high standard.
• The practice was run efficiently and was well organised. 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.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice