We spoke with four patients as part of our inspection of the medical centre. They all expressed a satisfaction with the care and treatment they received from the GPs, nurses and administrative staff. They told us they received prescriptions for their medication in a timely way. One patient said, 'The reception staff are brilliant and the doctors are fabulous.' All the patients we spoke with said that they could book an advance appointment with their preferred GP most of the time.Patients told us they were involved in decision making about their care and treatment. They said the doctors and nurses explained things to them in a way they understood. A patient told us, 'Doctors explain things well and explain what your medication is for.'
Patients told us it was not always easy to get through to the medical centre by telephone. They said the telephone was often engaged in the morning when they were trying to make an appointment for the same day. They confirmed that if they could not get an appointment then they were offered a telephone consultation with a GP.
Medical records and other records containing confidential information were stored securely.
We found the systems to monitor the safety and quality of the service were not robust and some of the monitoring processes under developed.
Staff were receiving on-going training in relation to their professional development. In addition, arrangements were in place for staff to undertake mandatory (required) training. A process was in place to ensure staff received an appraisal of their performance.