Archived: Abermed Norwich

On 30 October 2013 we received an action plan from the provider which addressed the concerns raised by us following the inspection. This listed the actions that had been taken to ensure that improvements had been made. The provider confirmed that they had put in place new procedures with regard to the recording and reporting of vaccine refrigerator temperatures and that these had been brought to the attention of the relevant staff. The provider also confirmed that they had revised the process for the disposal of expired vaccines.

The provider had made suitable arrangements to ensure the dignity and privacy of people who used the service. We noted that written consent was obtained before any consultations took place. The provider also took steps to ensure that information was available to people who used the service. One person told us that they had been well informed. They said that the doctor had been 'totally transparent. Really honest and upfront.'

Clinic staffing levels were arranged to ensure that people received care from appropriately qualified and skilled staff, who worked at this location and another of the provider's locations nearby. One staff member told us that working across two locations 'made me feel part of the team more quickly.'

The provider had an effective complaints system in place. Informal complaints were dealt with by the location's staff. Formal complaints were referred to a team at the provider's head office. This showed that complaints were investigated and resolved, where possible, to their satisfaction.

However, we found expired vaccines that had not been dealt with appropriately. We also found that safety checks on the vaccine storage refrigerator had not been undertaken correctly. This meant that there was a potential risk of people being given expired or ineffective vaccines.