Archived: Folkestone East Family Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Folkestone East Family Practice on 9 June 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 an effective system for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• There was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day. However, some patients reported they had to wait for routine appointments.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• Despite a high number of patients on the practice list living in deprived circumstances the practice achieved better Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) figures than national and local averages in some areas of care (QOF is a system intended to improve the quality of general practice and reward good practice).For example, in the care of patients with diabetes.
• Patient Group Directions had been adopted by the practice to allow nurses to administer medicines.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
• During the course of the inspection we found that some family planning activities were taking place such as implants. The practice was not registered with the CQC to deliver family planning services from this location. Once informed of the situation the practice submitted an application to deliver family planning services from this location. Evidence of the application was submitted to the CQC inspection team within the required 48 hours.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Review how infection prevention audits are carried out to help ensure effectiveness.

• Continue to identify patients who are also carers and build on the current carers register to help ensure that all patients on the practice list who are carers are offered relevant support if required.
• Continue to review the security of prescription forms.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice