Archived: Granton Medical Centre

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Granton Medical Centre on 12 October 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• There was an open and clear approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Staff had the skills and expertise to deliver effective care and treatment to patients in line with current evidence based guidance.
• The practice participated in the Birmingham Cross City Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG) programmes, Aspiring to Clinical Excellence (ACE) at Foundation and ACE Excellence levels.
• The practice also participated in the CCG’s Quality Conferrals And Pathway Scheme (QCAPS), which aimed to improve referral management and decrease unnecessary referrals by conferral with other GPs in the scheme.
• Patients said that they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect. They told us that clinical staff ensured that they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• 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 found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice had assessed 50% of patients aged over 75 years with respect to risk of falls. This had been achieved by opportunistic screening during appointments and at the annual flu clinics.
• The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a result of feedback from patients and from the Patient Participation Group (PPG). For example, a privacy screen was fitted to the reception desk as a result of a PPG recommendation.
• The weekly Nordic Walking Group, funded by Birmingham City Council, evolved from a PPG open day.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. 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 two areas of outstanding practice:

• The practice had been commissioned by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to become an Any Qualified Provider (AQP) for anticoagulation services (anticoagulants are medicines which are prescribed to help prevent blood clots). Referrals were accepted from neighbouring practices and domiciliary visits were offered to housebound patients.
• Two members of the PPG had trained to become volunteer bereavement counsellors. Sessions were held twice a week at the practice.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Consider drawing up guidelines for checking uncollected prescriptions before destruction.
• Risk assess the need to stock children’s pads for the defibrillator.
• Formalise arrangements for ensuring that patient safety alerts are viewed by all clinicians after periods of absence or annual leave.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice