A Camden practice has been rated Inadequate overall by the Care Quality Commission. Its previous rating was Requires Improvement.
Dr Philip Matthewman’s practice in Prince of Wales Road, has been rated Inadequate for being safe, effective and well-led. It was rated Good for being caring and responsive, following an inspection in August 2018.
Inspectors found that systems at the practice did not ensure that patient care was provided in a safe way. The practice did not have appropriate systems in place to ensure the safe management of medicines. There was no effective management, monitoring and recording of emergency equipment and medicines.
CQC was not assured that both clinical and non-clinical staff had completed the appropriate level of safeguarding children training. There was no practice policy for significant events and incident reporting.
There had been insufficient improvements since CQC’s previous inspection in outcomes for patients with long term health conditions, particularly those with diabetes.
Non-clinical staff had not undertaken sepsis training and were unable to demonstrate an understanding of what sepsis was or how to identify a deteriorating patient.
There was no evidence to demonstrate that health and safety risk assessments had been carried out at the premises.
The practice must now:
- Ensure that care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.
- Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.
Areas the practice should now improve include:
- Reviewing clinical staff training for the care and treatment of patients under the age of 16.
- Reviewing the provision of sharps injury guidance to ensure it is available in consulting or treatment in order to provide staff with quick access to information on the steps to be taken in the event of a sharps injury.
However, inspectors also found that staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. The practice organised and delivered services to meet most patients’ needs and preferences.
Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they could access care when they needed it.
Professor Ursula Gallagher, CQC Deputy Chief Inspector of GP Practices, said: “Whilst acknowledging that the patients of the practice report experiencing care that is responsive to their needs, it is concerning that Dr Philip Matthewman’s practice has been assessed as Inadequate in some key areas that relate to safe and effective care.
“In order to support the practice we are placing it into special measures. This will be kept under review and if needed could be escalated to urgent enforcement action. These measures will give people who use the service the reassurance that the care they get should improve.”
ENDS
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