Archived: Summerlee Medical Centre

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Summerlee Medical Centre on 11 October 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 a system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and managed across the practice. However, the system for recording action taken in response to medical and clinical alerts should be strengthened. Evidence to identify the action the practice had taken in response to updated guidance and thereafter updating records was not always clear.
• Personnel records for some staff did not contain all relevant information to evidence that appropriate recruitment procedures had been followed.
• 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 were positive about the standard of care they received and about staff behaviours. They said staff were attentive, kind, thorough and helpful. They told us that their privacy and dignity was respected and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was readily available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Results from the national GP Patient survey indicated the practice was performing in-line with or above local and national averages. Patients confirmed that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available when required.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• In a small practice there was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.
• The practice did not have a Patient Participation Group. The practice manager advised that arrangements would be put in place to form a group and recruit members. However, we saw that where patient feedback was given the practice took appropriate steps to act on it.
• The provider did not have an operational website for this practice
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The practice should take action in the following areas:

• Implement a system to ensure Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) alerts are received and acted upon appropriately.

• Ensure documentation in the staff files contains records of recruitment, training and appraisals.

• Develop the patient participation group (PPG) to gather feedback from patients and consider the use of a website to convey information to patients.
• An updated business continuity plan to be made available ‘off-site’ to the partner and relevant managers.
• Consider the development of a documented business plan, to evidence the vision and strategic plans for the practice.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice