Archived: The Shaikh Partnership Also known as Longhill Health Care Centre

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Shaikh Partnership on 1 December 2015. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. The full comprehensive report from the December 2015 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Shaikh Partnership on our website at www.cqc.org.uk. We conducted a further inspection follow-up visit on 19 January 2017 and found some improvements had been made. The report on the January 2017 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Shaikh Partnership on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This announced inspection was undertaken on 11 April 2017. 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Information about services and how to complain was available. 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 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 improvements are:

• Although patient feedback is being sought in other ways the practice should explore ways of introducing and implementing a patient participation group (PPG) to drive improvement through further suggestions from a patient perspective.

• Ensure all complaints are managed in accordance with procedures in respect of complaint outcomes and reference to other agencies.

• Review the record keeping arrangements for blank prescriptions to ensure it is in accordance with national guidance.

• Review the arrangements and carry out a risk assessment for the provision of medicines and equipment for use in a medical emergency.

• Review the arrangements for the management of patient group directions and patient specific directions.

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of The Shaikh Partnership on 1 December 2015. A breach of legal requirements was found. After the comprehensive inspection, the practice wrote to us to say what they would do to meet legal requirements in relation to;

• Regulation 12 Health & Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 – safe care and treatment.

• Regulation 17 Health & Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 – good governance.

• Regulation 19 Health & Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 – fit and proper persons employed.

We undertook this focused inspection on 19 December 2016, to check that they had followed their plan and to confirm that they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting 'all reports' link for The Shaikh Partnership on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

From the inspection on 1 December 2015, the practice were told they must:

• Implemented a system to regularly monitor patients prescribed medication, and that prescriptions are checked and verified against the practice dispensing record for accuracy purposes.

• Clinical audits must include a full cycle of events to ensure patient outcomes are improved and reflection and learning is recorded with action points identified.

• Ensure recruitment arrangements include all necessary employment checks for all staff.

• A system must be implemented to ensure emergency drugs are in place to deal with emergency situations.

We found that on the 19 December 2016 the practice now had improved systems in place.

• Clinical audits had been completed with patient improvements identified and these were repeated for further action and review.

• Records we looked at confirmed that staff recruitment checks had been completed.

• We saw records that defined key leaderships roles in the practice had been implemented.

However, there were areas where the provider must continue to make improvements:

• Implement systems and procedures for nursing staff when required to authorise repeat prescriptions.

• A system of checking emergency medication had been introduced but we did not see any evidence that checks had been completed since July 2016.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice