Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of North House Surgery on 10 October 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good. However, a breach of legal requirements was found, resulting in a rating of requires improvement for the safe domain. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for North House Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
On 16 May 2017, we undertook an announced focused inspection. This was to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements, in relation to the breaches in regulations that had been identified at our previous inspection on 10 October 2016. This report covers our findings regarding those requirements and any additional improvements that have been made since our last inspection.
Our key findings were as follows:
- There were up to date and version controlled standard operating procedures in place to support staff working within the dispensary at the practice.
- All repeat prescriptions were signed by a GP before medicines were dispensed.
- There was a revised system in place to review those patients who were on repeat medication, or high risk medicines, prior to dispensing.
- Processes had been implemented in the dispensary to record near misses.
- The dispensing lead had initiated quarterly meetings with dispensing staff; there was a set agenda and minutes of the meetings were to be taken.
- There was a system in place for tracking and recording blank prescription forms within the practice.
- Patient Group Directives (PGDs) were in date and signed.
- There were records of when checks were carried out in relation to vaccine refrigerator temperatures.
- The practice had emergency ‘grab bags’ of medicines for GPs to take on home visits. These were kept alongside other emergency equipment within the practice.
Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice