Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Plana & Partners on 28 June 2016. We inspected the practice’s main site at 71 Sherard Road SE9 6ER, and its branch sites at 444-446 Rochester Way SE9 6LJ and 115 Tudway Road SE3 9YX. The overall rating for the practice was inadequate and the practice was placed in special measures for a period of six months. The full comprehensive report on the 28 June 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Dr Plana & Partners on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Since the 28 June 2016 inspection the registered provider has closed one of its branches, 444-446 Rochester Way SE9 6LJ.
This inspection was undertaken following the period of special measures and was an announced comprehensive inspection on 25 April 2017. The provider had made improvements in all the areas where issues were identified in the inspection on 28 June 2016. Overall the practice is now rated to requires improvement.
Our key findings were as follows:
- Data for 2015/2016 showed several patient outcomes were below local and national averages in relation to the Quality and Outcomes Framework clinical targets; the practice had not adequately addressed some of these areas in order to make improvements to patient outcomes. The practice provided evidence for, 2016/2017 that clinical performance had improved but this data had not been independently verified or published at the time of our inspection.
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There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
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Risks to the safe care of patients were now clearly monitored and managed.
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There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients; however, the Patient Participation Group felt that some of the suggestions they made were not acted on. For example, they suggested the layout of the practice/reception area could be changed and a door put in, so that there is more privacy for patients when they are discussing issues.
- The practice now had a policy to allow people with no fixed address to register as patients to receive on-going care at the practice.
- Immunisation rates were slightly below average for all standard childhood immunisations.
- The practice addressed difficulties in patients getting appointments by recruiting two salaried GPs, although it was too early to see if this improved patient feedback on access.
- Results from the national GP patient survey showed that patients’ satisfaction with how they could access care and treatment was slightly below local and national averages and had gone down in some areas since the previous GP patients survey.
- Extended hours were provided from 6.30 to 7pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and from 9am to 12pm on Saturday. Patients also had access to weekend appointments at Greenwich Access Hubs.
The areas where the provider must make improvement are:
- Review ways to improve patient outcomes in long term conditions.
The areas where the provider should make improvement are:
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Review emergency medicines risk assessments to ensure all eventualities are considered.
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Ensure all working prescribers know where and how to check that monitoring tests are up to date.
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Review practice procedures to ensure that the suggestions made by the Patient Participation Group are acted on appropriately.
I am taking this service out of special measures. This recognises the significant improvements made to the quality of care provided by the service, however outcomes are not clear yet.
Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice