Archived: Church View Practice

Updated 11 May 2021

Church View Practice provides general medical services to the local community and has a registered patient population of approximately 5,905 patients. The registered provider is Dulwich Medical Centre which delivers general practice services at three registered locations in England.

Church View Practice is registered with the Care Quality Commission to deliver the following regulated activities: diagnostic and screening procedures; family planning; maternity and midwifery services; surgical procedures; treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

As part of our inspection we visited Church View Practice, 103-107 High Street, Rainham, Gillingham, Kent, ME8 8AA only, where the provider delivers registered activities.

The practice staff consists of one salaried GP (male), one practice manager, one advanced nurse practitioner (female), two practice nurses (both female), one pharmacist (female), one healthcare assistant (female), one medical secretary, one practice administrator, four receptionists and two receptionist-administrators. The practice also employs two long term locum GPs via an agency. Practice staff are also supported by the DMC Healthcare Limited management team.

Opening hours are Monday to Thursday 8:00 - 19:00 and Friday 08:00 - 18:30. There are arrangements with other providers (MedOCC) to deliver services to patients outside of the practice’s working hours.

The practice website is www.dmcchurchviewpractice.co.uk.

Updated 11 May 2021

We carried out a focused inspection of Church View Practice on 6 November 2020 and found breaches of regulations. We took enforcement action and issued warning notices against Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment) and Regulation 17 (Good governance) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. We issued a requirement notice against Regulation 18 (Staffing).

We carried out this inspection of Church View Practice to confirm that the practice now met the legal requirements in relation to those breaches of regulations and to ensure sufficient improvement had been made. This report only covers findings in relation to those requirements. The practice was not rated as a consequence of this inspection.

Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, taking into account the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections differently.

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:

• Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system and discussing findings with the provider.
• Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider.
• Requesting evidence from the provider.
• A site visit.

We conducted clinical searches and a remote review of patient records on 30 March 2021 at short notice to the provider and an unannounced site visit on 8 April 2021. Following our site visit on 8 April 2021 we requested supporting evidence and documents from the provider which we reviewed remotely.

At this inspection we found the practice had made the following improvements:

• Patient group directions, to ensure the safe administration of medicines to patients, were complete and up to date.
• Arrangements were in place to ensure the safe storage of medicines.
• The practice kept all medicines required for dealing with medical emergencies.
• Staff had been supported to complete all required training.
• Clinical staffing levels were maintained via the use of two long term locum GPs.
• Safeguarding arrangements and responsibilities were clearly defined.
• Governance and local clinical leadership arrangements had been reviewed and updated.
• Infection prevention and control monitoring processes had been improved but required further development.

The clinical searches undertaken at this inspection identified a small number of minor issues outside of the warning notice compliance review which the provider resolved at the time of inspection.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Review and develop infection prevention and control auditing processes and use of the enhanced auditing tool not yet fully implemented.
• Monitor and review clinical staffing levels and continue to seek to recruit to vacant salaried GP position.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our findings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care