Background to this inspection
Updated
15 November 2021
The Mitcham Medical Centre is located in London
Main site:
81 Haslemere Avenue
Mitcham
CR4 3PR
Surrey
Tel: 02086483234
The practice has a branch surgery at:
Branch site:
886 Garratt Lane,
Tooting
SW17 0NB
The Mitcham Medical Centre provides primary medical services from 81 Haslemere Avenue, Mitcham CR4 3PR to approximately 9400 patients and is one of 21 practices in Merton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The practice website can be accessed through https://www.mitchammedicalcentre.nhs.uk/ The provider has branch practice which operates in 886 Garratt Lane, Tooting SW17 0NB.
The practice is registered as a partnership with the Care Quality Commission to provide the regulated activities of diagnostic and screening procedures, maternity and midwifery services, surgical procedures and treatment of disease, disorder or injury.
The practice population of older people is slightly above the CCG and significantly above the national average. The practice population is in the fifth more deprived decile in England. The practice population of children is below the CCG and national averages and the practice population of working age people is in line with the CCG average and significantly above the national averages.
The clinical team at the practice is made up of two part-time male GP Partners, five part-time female salaried GPs, one full time female practice nurse, a female locum nurse, and a female healthcare assistant. The non-clinical team at the practice is made up of a practice manager, assistant practice manager, and 17 administrative and reception staff members.
When the practice is closed patients are directed to contact the local out of hours provider.
Updated
15 November 2021
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Mitcham Medical Centre on 29 & 30 September and 1 October 2021 as part of our inspection programme. Overall, the practice is rated as Good. The practice was previously inspected in December 2019. Following that inspection, the practice was rated as requires improvement overall (requires improvement in safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led) for issues in relation to safe care and treatment, low patient outcomes, patient experience and governance arrangements. All population groups were rated as requires improvement.
The ratings for each key question are:
Safe Good
Effective Requires improvement
Caring Good
Responsive Good
Well-led Good
The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Mitcham Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk
Why we carried out this inspection
This inspection was to follow up the breaches of regulation identified at the previous inspection.
We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:
• what we found when we inspected
• information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
• information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.
How we carried out the inspection
Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, considering the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections. This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements.
This included
- Requesting evidence from the provider in advance of the site visit .
Our findings
We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:
• what we found when we inspected.
• information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
• information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.
We have rated this practice as Good overall and requires improvement for effective due to improvements still required in increasing patient clinical outcomes. We have rated population groups: people with long term conditions, children & families and the working age people as requires improvement due to low uptake of childhood immunisations and cervical smears.
We found that:
- The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm. The practice had made improvements to the process of monitoring high risk medicines. Rolling audits were used to monitor progress. However, the recording of instances when a patient did not engage or respond to follow ups needs to be strengthened.
- Whilst some patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs, data relating to the monitoring of patients with long term conditions was low. The practice were aware of this and were working to improve. The practice’s uptake for childhood immunisations and cervical cancer were low compared to local and national averages. However, data provided by the practice showed some improvement.
- Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
- Patient access to care had been improved at the practice with patients’ feedback largely positive about their experience of accessing the practice. Indication from internal surveys carried out by the practice showed the practice to be in line with local and national averages.
- The practice adjusted how it delivered services to meet the needs of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic and were currently providing face to face appointments as required.
- Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
- The practice had made significant improvements to their governance and systems.
The provider should:
- Improve the process of recording medication reviews in instances when patients failed to engage with the practice.
- Continue efforts to increase clinical outcomes for patients with long term conditions, increase the uptake for childhood immunisations and cervical cancer screening.
- Maintain arrangements for managing patients on high risk medicines
Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.
Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care