A Waltham Forest practice has been rated Inadequate overall by the Care Quality Commission and placed into special measures. Subsequently the provider cancelled his registration with CQC and the Hurley Group is now looking after patients.
SMA Medical Centre in High Road Leyton, was rated Inadequate for being safe, effective, responsive and well-led. It was rated Requires Improvement for being caring, following the inspection in January 2018.
Patients’ records were not always contemporaneous; inspectors found evidence of missing consultations.
Evidence that health care assistants and reception staff were carrying out medicine reviews and annual reviews for patients with long term conditions without being trained to do so. Health care assistants administered flu vaccinations without patient specific directions. There were ineffective infection control processes.
Non-clinical staff added new medicines to the patient records without input from a clinician.
The practice did not always act on information received from external agencies such as medicine changes, safeguarding information, referral requests and diagnosis updates.
The process for obtaining urgent medical attention for patients who did not have an appointment was not effective. There was no system to ensure that prescriptions were picked up by patients including vulnerable patients and patients experiencing poor mental health.
Appropriate staff recruitment checks were not always carried out prior to employment or routinely check once employed. The practice did not have an effective system to manage and mitigate risks to the premises, staff and patients. The practice did not always comply with the duty of candour.
Clinical equipment had not undergone portable appliance testing or calibration to ensure they were fit for purpose, safe and in good working order.
Data from the national GP patient survey showed patients rated services and care below the Clinical Commissioning Group and national averages.
There were no systems to identify and address poor performance.
Areas where the provider must make improvements are:
- Ensure 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.
- Ensure all premises and equipment used by the service provider is fit for use.
Areas where the provider should make improvements:
- Work to improve patient satisfaction with services provided.
Acting Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice, Michele Golden said:
“We were very concerned at the standard of care when we inspected SMA Medical Centre. When we told the provider we would be putting them into Special Measures, which allows them to access support to improve their service they cancelled their registration. A new provider has taken over the practice. This should mean that patients will now get the quality of care that they are entitled to receive.”
You can read the report in full on our website.
Ends
For further information please contact Ray Cooling, Regional Engagement Manager (London), on 020 7448 9136 or call the press office on 020 7448 9401 during office hours.
Journalists wishing to speak to the press office outside of office hours can find out how to contact the team here.
Please note: the press office is unable to advise members of the public on health or social care matters. For general enquiries, please call 03000 61 61 61.
We were very concerned at the standard of care when we inspected SMA Medical Centre
Michele Golden, Acting Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice