Archived: The Hythe Medical Centre

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

Following an announced comprehensive inspection of The Hythe Medical Centre in December 2015 the practice was given an overall rating of requires improvement.

The practice was rated as requires improvement for providing safe and well-led services, and good for providing caring, effective and responsive services. In addition, all six population groups were rated as requires improvement. At our inspection we identified concerns relating to building and equipment safety checks, the provision of emergency equipment, recruitment and appraisal of staff. we also had concerns in respect of the recording, analysis, and sharing of learning from significant events.

After the comprehensive inspection, the practice wrote and provided an action plan to tell us what they would do in respect of our inspection report findings and to meet legal requirements. We undertook this focused inspection on 9 June 2016 to check that they had followed their plan and to confirm that they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements. Overall the practice is rated as good following this inspection.

Our previous inspection in December 2015 found the following areas where the practice must improve:

• Improve staff understanding and the subsequent recording of significant events and the communication of any learning points to appropriate staff.

• Ensure that oxygen is available to deal with medical emergencies.

• Ensure that building safety checks are completed, including electricity safety checks, legionella risk assessments and the routine testing of fire alarms and fire drills.

• Ensure that portable electrical safety testing is carried out and that clinical equipment is calibrated.

• Ensure that infection control audits are completed regularly and any subsequent concerns actioned.

• Ensure the annual appraisal process is robust and that all staff have annual appraisals.

• Ensure that recruitment checks are completed in line with practice policies.

• Implement a schedule of clinical audit to support improvement.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Our key findings across the areas we inspected for this focused inspection were as follows:

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting, recording, investigating and sharing learning from significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed including building and equipment safety checks and infection control audits.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs including the management of patient confidentiality in the waiting area and provision of oxygen to deal with medical emergencies.
• There was a system in place for annual appraisals and all staff had an appraisal within the last twelve months.
• Recruitment checks for new staff were completed in line with practice policy.
• There was a clear schedule of clinical audit used to drive quality improvement.

As a result of this inspection, the areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Review the results of the national GP survey and consider ways that the practices performance could be improved, specifically in areas where the survey results are below average.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice