England’s Chief Inspector of General Practice has placed a Essex GP practice into special measures following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission.
The Care Quality Commission has found the quality of care at Dr Ildiko Spelt Practice in Clacton On Sea, Essex to be Inadequate following an inspection carried out in June 2015. A full report of the inspection has been published today.
Dr Ildiko Spelt is situated in Clacton On Sea, Essex. The practice is one of 44 practices in the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area. The practice has a Primary Medical Services (PMS) contract with the NHS. There are approximately 7700 patients registered at the practice.
Under CQC’s new programme of inspections, all of England’s GP practices are being given a rating according to whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.
The practice was rated inadequate for providing services to older people, people with long-term conditions, families, children and young people, working age people (including those recently retired and students), people living in vulnerable circumstances, and people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).
The report highlights a number of areas where improvements must be made including:
- Ensure clinical staff receive appropriate training, supervision and appraisal including to enable them to carry out minor illness consultations and manage changes in warfarin dosages.
- Implement a robust system for the management of national patient safety and medicine alerts.
- Ensure patients taking high-risk medicines are monitored effectively and in line with relevant guidance.
- Implement a system for monitoring fridge temperatures including the action to take in the event that the temperature falls outside of the required temperature range.
- Record when action is taken in relation to the control measures identified to reduce the risk of legionella.
- Implement a system to monitor emergency medicines and equipment and maintain records.
- Undertake a health and safety risk assessment and maintain records when action is taken to mitigate risks.
- Implement systems to monitor and assess the quality of the services provided by the practice which includes feedback from patients and staff on areas for improvement as well as audits.
- Ensure there is clinical oversight of complaints raised by patients and that records adequately reflect the learning identified and how and when it is cascaded to staff members.
- Ensure audits are undertaken, including completed clinical audit cycles.
- Ensure that clinical staff undertaking patient consultations and the monitoring of patients on warfarin medicine have appropriate protocols, procedures and guidance to carry out their role.
Janet Williamson, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice and Dentistry in CQC’s Central region said:
“It is important that the people who are registered Dr Ildiko Spelt Practice can rely on getting the high quality care which everyone is entitled to receive from their GP.
"Although the patients we met told us they were treated with dignity and respect, we also found that care and treatment was not always delivered in line with best practice.
“We know that Dr Ildiko Spelt Practice has acknowledged the areas where action must be taken. We have found significant areas of concern, which is why we are placing the practice into special measures - so opening the way to support from NHS England among others.
“We will continue to monitor this practice and we will inspect again in six months to check whether improvements have been made. I am hopeful that the practice will do what is required for the sake of its patients, but if we find that the service remains inadequate, we will consider taking further action.”
Ends
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Read our reports on Dr Ildiko Spelt Practice.