CQC requires urgent improvement from Cumbria GP

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has told Dalston Medical Group that they must make urgent improvements to ensure their GP practice meets national standards.

Inspectors visited the Dalston Medical Group run GP practice at Dalston, Curmbria in May this year. The inspection took place as part of CQC’s new inspection programme to test a new approach inspecting general practice.

Visiting inspectors reviewed a sample of records, observed how people received care and treatment, and also spoke to patients and members of staff.

The CQC’s inspection report, published this week, identifies that Dalston Medical Group was failing to meet eight out of 16 national standards reviewed by the visiting inspection team.

Some of the issues of concern identified by inspectors included: 

• The practice did not have a system in place to assess and monitor the quality of service provided, or to identify, assess and manage risks.
• Patient records which included confidential information were not always being stored securely. Inspectors found that consultation room doors were left open and accessible to members of the general public. While rooms were unoccupied computers were active and displaying patient information.
• Disclosure and Barring Service Checks (previously known as CRB checks) had not been completed for all staff. There was no evidence that; any kind of checks had been made to ensure clinicians were properly registered with their regulatory body.
• The majority of records needed to operate an effective service were either unavailble or out of date. For example, no information was available to show how locum GPs were checked, staff files were incomplete and did not show how staff were recruited or trained.
• Health and safety checks,  infection control audits and fire risk assessments were not in place.
• There was no information available to confirm that all the staff had completed the training necessary for their role or to confirm whether they had completed refresher training as and when needed.

As a result of the inspection, CQC has issued three formal warnings to Dalston Medical Group requiring improvements in relation to supporting workers, records and the assessment and monitoring of service provision.

The provider must also take action to address shortfalls against the additional five regulations that are not being met.

Sue McMillan, CQC’s Deputy Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services in the North said:

“We were extremely disappointed to find these shortfalls against national requirements and have warned Dalston Medical Group that immediate improvements must be made.

“We continue to monitor the situation carefully and we will inspect again in the near future to ensure that all concerns have been addressed and that patients are being given the service they are entitled to expect.

“If we find that Dalston Medical Group has not made the required improvements we will consider the need for further regulatory action as neccessary.”

Any regulatory decision that CQC takes is open to challenge by a registered person through a variety of internal and external appeal processes

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For further information please contact the Kirstin Hannaford, CQC Regional Communications Manager on 0191 233 3629 or 07825947160.

The CQC press office can be contacted on 0207 448 9401 or out of hours on 07917 232 143