Archived: Dr Katie Parkinson

Updated 23 June 2017

Dr Katie Parkinson provides primary medical services to approximately 810 patients from premises at Haileybury Health Centre, Hertford Heath, Hertford, Hertfordshire. The Health Centre is located in Haileybury, which is an independent co-educational boarding and day school for boys and girls aged 11 to 18 years. The health centre is open to all pupils and people who have an association with the school, this includes a small number of patients from the local area.

The health centre has facilities to accommodate up to 18 pupils as inpatients and has a fully equipped ambulance providing pitch-side care at sports matches and events.

Dr Katie Parkinson is the school’s resident doctor and works with six school nurses, a counsellor and physiotherapist. A male GP is also used as a regular locum. The school also employs two reception staff and two domestic staff members. The practice provides a dispensing service and dispenses medicines to approximately 700 patients.

The GP is available to patients between 8am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday. Appointments with a GP are available from 9am to 10am and 5.30pm to 6.30pm on Mondays, between 2.30pm and 4.30pm on Tuesdays, between 9am and 11am and between 2pm and 4.30pm Wednesdays and Thursdays. Appointments with a GP are available on Fridays between 9am and 11am and during the afternoon if required. Appointments on Saturdays are provided between 9am and 11am. The practice provides a pupil walk-in surgery from 8am to 9am Mondays to Saturdays. The school nursing team are available for emergencies 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This service is provided by the school and overseen by the GP who is available if required.

Updated 23 June 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Dr Katie Parkinson on 18 January 2017. The overall rating for the practice was good with requires improvement for safe.

The full comprehensive report from the January 2017 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Dr Katie Parkinson on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 14 June 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 18 January 2017;

• Regulation 12 Health & Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 Safe care and treatment.

The areas identified as requiring improvement during our inspection in January 2017 were as follows:

• Ensure ongoing management of controlled drugs in line with legislation.
• Ensure repeat prescriptions are signed prior to medicines being given to patients.
• Complete a risk assessment of emergency medicines including the need to carry additional emergency medicine stock.

In addition, the practice were told they should:

• Consider reviewing the process for identifying significant events and near misses.
• Record actions taken in relation to safety alerts.
• Ensure that systems are implemented to assess the risk of and to prevent, detect and control the spread of infection including routine audit processes.
• Ensure an appropriate system is in place for the safe use of blank prescriptions.
• Complete a periodic review of practice specific policies.

Overall the practice is now rated as good in all areas.

Our focused inspection on 14 June 2017 showed that improvements had been made and our key findings across the areas we inspected were as follows:

• The controlled drugs standard operating procedure had been reviewed and was in line with legislation. The controlled drugs register was appropriately maintained including accurate records of stock levels.
• The provider had implemented a repeat prescribing policy and arrangements were in place to ensure prescriptions were issued appropriately.
• The provider had completed a risk assessment of emergency medicines and had updated their emergency medicine stock.
• The process for identifying significant events and near misses had been improved.
• The provider maintained a log of safety alerts and recorded actions taken to improve safety in the practice.
• Systems and processes to assess the risk of and to prevent, detect and control the spread of infection had been reviewed and the practice had completed an infection prevention and control audit.
• An appropriate system was in place for the safe use of blank prescriptions.
• The provider had undertaken a review of their policies.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 21 March 2017

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long-term conditions.

• Nurses had lead roles in chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority. The practice provided diabetes and asthma clinics.
• The practice had three patients on their diabetes register. All of these patients had a record of their blood pressure, cholesterol, record of a foot examination and vaccination against influenza.
• 72% of patients diagnosed with asthma, on the register, had received an asthma review in the last 12 months which was comparable the local CCG and national average of 75%.
• Patients with a long-term condition had a structured annual review to check their health and medicines needs were being met. For those patients with the most complex needs, the named GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care.

Updated 21 March 2017

The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people.

• Patients told us that children and young people were treated in an age-appropriate way and were recognised as individuals, and we saw evidence to confirm this.
• Immunisation rates were high for all standard childhood immunisations.
• There were eight week post-natal checks for mothers and their children.
• A range of contraceptive and family planning services were available.
• The practice’s uptake for the cervical screening programme was 83% which was comparable with the local average of 83% and national average of 82%.
• Appointments were available on the same day and outside of school hours.

Updated 21 March 2017

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people.

• The practice was responsive to the needs of older people and offered home visits and urgent appointments when required.

Updated 21 March 2017

The practice is rated as good for the care of working-age people (including those recently retired and students).

• The needs of the working age population, those recently retired and students had been identified and the practice had adjusted the services it offered to ensure these were accessible, flexible and offered continuity of care.
• The practice was proactive in providing good access to care and treatment. Patients could contact the practice via email to arrange an appointment. The principal GP was also contactable on a mobile telephone and the practice provided a text messaging service, as well as a full range of health promotion and screening that reflects the needs of this age group.
• Extended appointment times were available to patients each Saturday.
• The practice provided a dispensary service for staff members at the school.

Updated 21 March 2017

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).

• The practice held a register of patients experiencing poor mental health and offered regular reviews and same day contact.
• The practice had three patients on their mental health register. All of these patients had an agreed care plan.
• Staff had a good understanding of how to support patients with mental health needs and dementia.
• The practice worked closely with the school’s counsellor and the local child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS) which included referrals to the local eating disorder service.

Updated 21 March 2017

The practice is rated as good for the care of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.

• The principal GP held weekly meetings with the child protection team at the school and worked with other health care professionals in the case management of vulnerable patients.
• Vulnerable patients had been told how to access support groups and voluntary organisations.
• Staff had accessed safeguarding training and knew how to recognise signs of abuse in vulnerable adults and children. Staff members were aware of their responsibilities regarding information sharing, documentation of safeguarding concerns and how to contact relevant agencies in normal working hours and out of hours.