07 October 2015
During a routine inspection
Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Parnwell Medical Practice on 7 October 2015. Overall the practice is rated as requires improvement.
Specifically, we found the practice to require improvement for providing safe, responsive and well led services. It also required improvement for providing services for older patients, patients with long term conditions, patients in vulnerable circumstances, families, children and young patients, working age patients and patients experiencing poor mental health. It was good for providing an effective and caring service.
Our key findings were as follows:
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The practice had a good understanding of the needs of the practice population but these could not always be met due to reduced opening times.
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The practice had significant event and complaints procedures but an increased understanding was needed by staff around what constituted a significant event.
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Feedback from patients and observations throughout our inspection showed the staff were kind, caring and helpful. The clinical staff at the practice provided effective consultations, care and treatment in line with recommended guidance.
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New staff received appropriate inductions into their role.
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Although practice leadership was part time, they were visible and staff felt supported by the management and were involved in the vision of providing high quality care and treatment to patients.
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Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
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Urgent appointments were usually available on the day they were requested.
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The practice had a number of policies and procedures to govern activity.
However there were several areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements. Importantly the provider should:
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Improve access for patients in line with the practice’s understanding of patients’ needs.
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Improve its understanding around what constitutes a significant event in order that staff can identify, report and investigate these in a consistent way.
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Ensure there are effective systems or processes in place to access, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the services provided. This should include health and safety risk management and regular fire drills.
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Improve the complaints process so that patients’ verbal concerns and complaints are monitored and any actions taken as a result of them are followed up.
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Ensure that clinical audit cycles are completed.
Professor Steve Field
CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP Chief Inspector of General Practice