Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at New Eltham Medical Centre and Blackfen Medical Centre on 5 November 2015. Overall the practices are rated as requires improvement.
Please note that when referring to information throughout this report, for example any reference to the Quality and Outcomes Framework data, this relates to the most recent information available to the CQC at that time.
Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:
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Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
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Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
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Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
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Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
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Urgent appointments were usually available on the day they were requested.
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The practice had not proactively sought feedback from patients.
The areas where the provider must make improvements are:
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Ensure staff receive appraisal as is necessary to enable them to carry out the duties they are employed to perform.
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Ensure that health and safety building checks are undertaken and staff are adequately trained and updated in Fire safety.
In addition the provider should:
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Ensure they have systems to monitor and record all staff training undertaken and staff meetings.
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Ensure that there is clear designation of staff lead roles.
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Ensure the practice develop systems that offer support to staff to provide cover.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice