Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Albion Health Centre on 19 July 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good. The full comprehensive report on the 19 July 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Albion Health Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
This inspection was a desk-based review carried out on 5 May 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 19 July 2016. There were concerns that the practice was not responsive to patient feedback on access and waiting times, systems to identify carers needed reviewing, staff did not receive regular appraisals and policies needed to be kept up to date with current guidelines. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.
Overall the practice is now rated as good.
Our key findings were as follows:
- In response to the patient survey results on access to services the practice was trialling a new appointment booking system.
- The practice had changed their telephone system to an internet based system which meant that patients who called to make appointments would be held in a cue rather than getting the engaged tone.
- The practice increased the number of telephone consultations available.
- They had also introduced web based consultations and online appointment booking.
- The practice enquired about carer status in their NHS health checks and chronic diseases/integrated care reviews and then coded the relevant status when the information had been provided opportunistically. The practice had identified 29% of their patient list as a carer. They advise patients that are carers about local resources and the carer’s website and also refer to their local network social prescriber who is attached to our practice one day a week.
- Appraisals had been completed for all staff in the last year, the practice were in the middle of this year’s appraisals at the time of inspection.
- The child safeguarding policy was up to date.
- The infection control protocol and policy were both up to date.
- Blank prescription forms and pads were securely stored and there was a system in place to record their numbers to monitor their use.
At this inspection we found that there had been improvements in patient’s access to the services, the practice had taken on board patient’s feedback and implemented changes such as web based consultations, increased telephone consultations and online booking. Consequently, the practice is rated as good for providing responsive services.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice