Addison Road Medical Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Addison Road Medical Practice on 3 May 2017. The overall rating for the practice was good, but there was a rating of requires improvement for providing responsive services. The full comprehensive report on the May 2017 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Addison Road Medical Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 5 December 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to improve patient satisfaction with access to services, including getting through to the practice by telephone and obtaining an appointment. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is now rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Results from the national GP patient survey showed patients rated the practice below local and national averages for being able to get through to the practice by telephone and access appointments. The practice carried out their own survey and patients rated these services positively.
• The practice increased the number of weekly GP contacts by 36% by introducing a triage system.
• The practice increased the number of hours that it was open each week.
• The practice was a part of the local HUB, which provided GP and nurse appointments on weekday evenings and on weekends. The practice was also open for appointments on Saturdays between 9am and 2pm.
• A new telephone system was installed, which enabled an increased amount of calls to be answered at any given time and included a queuing system.
• The practice carried out regular audits to ensure the efficiency of the new telephone and appointment systems.

• Information about services and how to complain was available and the practice regularly held health promotion days. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Addison Road Medical Practice on 19 November 2015. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. The full comprehensive report published in March 2016 can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Addison Road Medical Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced comprehensive inspection on 3 May 2017, carried out 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 19 November 2015. There were breaches in staff training, recruitment processes and complaint procedures. There were also concerns with the recording of and learning from significant events, registration processes for people with no fixed address, the appointment system and access to a GP and the identification of carers. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is now 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.
• The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise risks to patient safety.
• Recruitment arrangements for newly appointed staff members followed national guidance; staff members had the appropriate checks including Disclosure and Barring Service checks carried out prior to employment.

• Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
• All staff members had completed training relevant to their role including safeguarding and chaperone training.
• Results from the national GP patient survey showed patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. However there were issues with patients being able to get through to the practice by telephone and access appointments.
• The practice held extended hours appointments on two weekday evenings per week and on a Saturday. Telephone consultations and online appointment bookings were available daily.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and the practice regularly held health promotion days. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients we spoke with said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There were processes in place to register patients with no fixed address.
• The practice had identified 1% of the patient list as a carer.
• 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 the requirements of the duty of candour. Examples we reviewed showed the practice complied with these requirements.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Continue to work to improve patient satisfaction with access to services including getting through to the practice by telephone and obtaining an appointment.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice