The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • Urgent care service or mobile doctor

Archived: Brighton Station Health Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Aspect House, 84-87 Queens Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 3XE (01273) 203058

Provided and run by:
Practice Plus Group Hospitals Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

23 June 2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

The practice is rated good overall and good for providing safe services.

We carried out an announced focused inspection of this practice on 1 March 2017. The overall rating for the practice was good. However, a breach of legal requirements was found during that inspection within the safe domain. After the focused inspection, the practice sent us an action plan detailing what they would do to meet the legal requirements. We conducted a focused inspection on 23 June 2017 to check that the provider had followed their action plan and to confirm that they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements.

During our previous inspection on 1 March 2017 we found the following area where the practice must improve:

  • The provider did not ensure that all staff were fully aware of the protocols relating to the recording and reporting of temperatures of fridges containing medicines. The provider had not reinforced to staff the actions to be taken when there were temperatures recorded outside the recommended ranges.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

During the inspection on 23 June 2017 we found:

  • The provider had systems in place to ensure that all staff were fully aware of the protocols relating to the recording and reporting of temperatures of fridges containing medicines. The provider reinforced to staff the actions to be taken when there were temperatures recorded outside of recommended ranges.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

01 March 2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Brighton Station Health Centre on 7 June 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good, but breaches of legal requirements were found in the safe domain. The practice sent us an action plan detailing what they would do in relation to the shortfalls identified and the action taken in order to meet the legal requirements in relation to the following:-

  • The provider did not do all that was reasonably practicable to ensure that the systems and processes for monitoring the safe storage of medicines within the practice were followed and understood by all staff and that prompt action was taken to mitigate the risk of medicines being stored outside of the required temperature range.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 1 March 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 7 June 2016.

This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection. The full comprehensive report on the January 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Brighton Station Health Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Overall the practice is rated as Good.

Our key findings across the areas we inspected were as follows:-

  • The provider had put new systems and processes in place for monitoring the safe storage of medicines within the practice. They were generally followed and understood by staff and most were aware of the action that was needed to be taken to mitigate the risk of medicines being stored outside of the required temperature range.
  • However there was one episode when the maximum temperature remained above the recommended maximum for the storage of medicines and had not been acted on.

There were also some areas identified at our inspection in June 2016 where the provider should make some improvements, these were:

  • To ensure that action plans to address low areas of patient satisfaction were sufficiently thorough and cover all identified areas for improvement through the range of feedback sources available.
  • To continue with plans to improve recruitment of medical staff, including exploring a variety of ways to promote recruitment.
  • Take action to improve performance for atrial fibrillation related indicators.
  • Take action to improve patient experience of GP consultations and the helpfulness of reception staff.

At this inspection we found that:

  • The service surveyed five per cent of its patients per month. The surveys were analysed and referred on to a monthly quality assurance (QA) meeting for further analysis and consideration. The overall result for January 2017 was that 99.6% of 253 patients were very likely or likely to recommend the service. The service also analysed feedback left on their web page and any direct verbal or written feedback from patients.
  • The service continually advertised for new staff, had involved the Care UK central recruitment team and regularly attended job fairs to improve the recruitment of medical staff.
  • Performance for atrial fibrillation related indicators was now similar to local and national averages at 100% compared with 97% (local) and 99% (national).
  • We saw that the practice had held two training sessions specifically for receptionist staff since the last inspection.

However, there were also areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly, the provider must:

  • Ensure that all staff are fully aware of the protocols relating to the recording and reporting of temperatures of fridges containing medicines and must reinforce to staff the actions to be taken when there are temperatures recorded outside the recommended ranges.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

7 June 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Brighton Station Health Centre on 29 September 2015. The practice was rated as requires improvement in safe, effective, caring and responsive. They were inadequate in well-led. On 7 June 2016 we carried out a further follow up comprehensive inspection where the practice is rated as requires improvement in safe and good in effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events. Improvements had been made in the way information about safety had been recorded and there were clear processes in place to ensure learning and improvements in practice.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed and there were improvements noted in the way risks were recorded and discussed within the practice.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • Patients we spoke with said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • Areas of lower patient satisfaction were identified within the practice and an action plan was in place, however this action plan did not always contain sufficient detail on how the issue was being addressed.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
  • Patients said they were generally satisfied with access to the service; however some felt they had to wait for a long time to be seen. The practice did not always communicate with patients the expected length of time they might have to wait.
  • The practice continued to experience some difficulties recruiting medical staff although many staff told us they felt continuity had improved through the use of regular locum staff since the previous inspection. Managers told us that new ways to attract staff had been agreed including improved rates of pay.
  • Medicines were generally well managed, however on the day of inspection we noted that the high temperature logs of the vaccine fridge had been consistently out of range for several days although the daily temperature checks were within range. This had not been picked up by the staff carrying out the checks.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. We were told by staff that improvements had been made to the management of the service and that this had led to greater staff satisfaction. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

The service included a sexual health clinic where staff worked to improve detection rates and work collaboratively with the local NHS trust to promote access to sexual health services. Specific areas of outstanding practice included staff from the sexual health clinic sharing areas of practice through presentations at a national sexual health conference and reducing the testing to consultant referral time for patients diagnosed as HIV positive.

The areas where the practice must make improvements are:

  • To ensure that the systems and processes for monitoring the safe storage of medicines within the practice are followed and understood by all staff and that prompt action is taken to mitigate the risk of medicines being stored outside of the required temperature range.

The areas where the practice should make improvements are:

  • To ensure that action plans to address low areas of patient satisfaction are sufficiently thorough and cover all identified areas for improvement through the range of feedback sources available.
  • To continue with plans to improve recruitment of medical staff, including exploring a variety of ways to promote recruitment.
  • Take action to improve performance for atrial fibrillation related indicators.
  • Take action to improve patient experience of GP consultations and the helpfulness of reception staff.


Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

29 September 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Brighton Station Health Centre on 29 September 2015. Overall the practice is rated as requires improvement.

Specifically, we found the practice was inadequate for well led services and requires improvement for providing safe, effective, caring and responsive services. It also required improvement for providing services for the six population groups.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. However information about safety was not consistently recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed. There was no evidence of learning and communication with staff.

  • Although some audits had been carried out, we saw no evidence that clinical audits were driving improvement in performance to improve patient outcomes.
  • Systems, processes and policies in place to manage and monitor risks to patients, staff and visitors were not in place.
  • The practice’s extended opening hours enabled patients to access appointments and in a way and at a time that suited them.
  • The practice actively encouraged its patients to live healthier lives. It provided health and well-being checks to registered patients and encouraged them to attend for a range of health checks.
  • Patient feedback from the national GP survey showed good levels of satisfaction with getting through on the phone, the receptionists, the opening hours and the extent to which the nurses involved patients in their care and treated them with care and concern.
  • The results of the national GP survey showed patients were less satisfied with their ability to see their preferred GP, GPs being good at involving them in their care and GPs treating them with care and concern.
  • The premises were clean and hygienic.
  • Patient feedback showed that the majority felt they had to wait too long to be seen.
  • Due to difficulties recruiting medical staff the practice there had been occasions when there had been insufficient medical cover and reliance on locum staff. This had an impact on patients having to wait to be seen and lack of continuity of care.
  • Staff had completed a number of on-line training courses and we saw examples of where the practice supported the maintenance and development of professional skills. For example the development of the health care assistant role in the sexual health service.
  • Not all staff undertaking medical chaperone duties had received training to equip them with the skills and knowledge required for the role.
  • Information about services and how to complain was not easily available. There was limited evidence to show that lessons from complaints were acted upon and shared.
  • Recruitment arrangements included all the necessary employment checks for all staff.
  • The practice worked closely with other organisations and with the local community in planning how services were provided to ensure that they meet people’s needs. For example it was part of the of the Brighton and Hove Extended Primary Integrated Care collaboration which aimed to improve patient access to care and support services.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:-

  • The sexual health service provided patients with an accessible, discreet and confidential service. The clinic was open every day from 8am to 7pm and patients could either walk in or pre-book an appointment. The service offered on-site microscopy and was able to give same day results to its patients. One member of staff had won a national award which recognised the work that had been undertaken to implement sexual health services and projects designed to help reduce the number of sexually transmitted illnesses (STIs) in Brighton by improving detection rates. The service worked in partnership with a local youth organisation to encourage and promote access for 14 -19 year olds to sexual health services. The service was proactive in undertaking sexual health screening and achieved very high rates of chlamydia screening as part of the National Chlamydia Screening Programme. All patients who were registered with the centre’s GP practice were also offered a HIV test on registration to help improve detection rates. Patient surveys undertaken in the sexual health service demonstrated high levels of satisfaction with the opening hours and waiting times.

The areas where the practice must make improvements are:

  • Ensure an ongoing programme of clinical audit is developed and undertaken and that audit cycles are completed and that the learning is shared.
  • Ensure there are formal governance arrangements in place and staff are aware how these operate.
  • Ensure information about safety is consistently recorded, monitored, addressed and appropriately shared and reviewed to ensure that lessons have been learnt.
  • Ensure systems, processes and policies are put in place to manage and monitor risks to patients, staff and visitors.
  • Ensure action plans are developed and implemented in response to feedback from staff and patients that address specific areas of concern including low levels of satisfaction in relation to consultations with doctors including GPs treating patients with care and concern, giving patients enough time, involving patients in decisions and explaining test results.
  • Ensure patients know how to complain and that complaints are thoroughly investigated and acted upon, that the lessons learned are shared with staff and other stakeholders and that records are kept to demonstrate this.
  • Ensure sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent, skilled and experienced staff are employed in order to provide a safe and effective service to patients.
  • Ensure staff undertake a comprehensive induction and have an annual appraisal which is recorded.
  • Ensure all staff who undertake chaperone duties have received appropriate training.

In addition the practice should:

  • Ensure action plans are put in place to address the areas identified for improvement from audits of infection control.

  • Put arrangements in place that allow staff to routinely work and meet with other health and social care services to understand and meet the range and complexity of people’s needs and to assess and plan ongoing care and treatment.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

7 February 2014

During a routine inspection

People were given information about their treatment and care and their views and comments were taken into account through feedback. The provider kept people's personal data secure and asked for people's consent to share their information with other relevant healthcare professionals.

People told us that they were satisfied with their treatment and the professionalism of staff. People had their individual needs assessed before commencing treatment and were given detailed information about their treatment or condition.

We looked around the premises and saw that it was safe, accessible, comfortable and clean. The rooms were well equipped and maintained people's dignity and privacy. There were contingency plans in place for emergency situations.

There was a robust recruitment and selection process in place with evidence of checks being undertaken for new employees. Staff had the appropriate qualifications, skills and knowledge for their roles. Staff completed a thorough induction process followed by on-going professional development.

The provider had effective systems in place to monitor the quality of service provision through surveys and audits. The provider effectively dealt with incidents, risks and complaints. Care and treatment decisions were made by experienced practitioners who were suitably qualified to make clinical judgements.

19 March 2013

During a routine inspection

We found that the service was clean and spacious and that people were provided with information prior to attending for an appointment. One person told us that, "It's nice to be listened to and heard, instead of talked at and ignored like some places I go to, the staff are fantastic at the Brighton clinic.'

We found that care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that protected people from harm. One person who used the service told us that, "[I receive an] outstanding level of care."

People who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had systems in place to identify and respond to any concerns.

We found that staff were supported with their personal development, and that staff received annual appraisals. One member of staff we spoke with told us that, 'I feel very supported here, I get the training I need for my ongoing development, my appraisal is a useful time for me to address any needs I have, and my line manager is always there for me when I need them.'

We found that people's views and opinions were sought and responded to when reviewing the quality of service provided. One person who used the service told us that, "I like it here, more than my own doctor's really. I like to be listened to."