Archived: Freshfields Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Freshfield Practice on 29 July 2015.

Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• Staff were aware of procedures for reporting significant events and safeguarding patients from risk of abuse. Significant events had been appropriately managed.
• There were appropriate systems in place to reduce risks to patient safety, for example, infection control procedures.
• Staff records for self- employed GPs and locum GPs needed improvement. For example records detailing health checks carried out and the recording of the date of the most recent Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.   
• Access to the service was monitored to ensure it met the needs of patients. Patients reported satisfaction with the ease of making appointments, although they were less satisfied with opening times.
• A number of locum GPs and self-employed GPs were supporting the practice which did not promote continuity of care for patients. Patient experiences of seeing or speaking to a preferred GP were less than local and national averages (National Patient Survey July 2015). The lead GP was self -employed and had worked at the practice on a permanent basis for approximately two years.
• The practice sought patient views about improvements that could be made to the service and acted on patient feedback. Information about how to complain was available.
• Patients were overall positive about the care they received from the practice. They commented that they were treated with respect and dignity and that staff were caring, supportive and helpful.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles.
• Services were planned and delivered to take into account the needs of different patient groups.
• There were systems in place to monitor and improve quality and identify risk.

There were areas where the provider must make improvements:

• The system in place to monitor and record the use of prescription pads needs to be reviewed to ensure accurate records are maintained and are auditable.
• Recruitment records for those staff not directly employed by SSP Health Ltd must contain information that demonstrates that they have the necessary skills, competencies and are of good character to provide safe services to patients.

There were areas where the provider should make improvements.

Importantly the provider should:

• Make improvements to the continuity of GPs employed at the practice to promote effective communication between clinical staff and continuity of care for patients.
• Recruitment records needed improvement with regard to the carrying out of health checks on prospective employees and or locum staff.
• Ensure that the practice website contains sufficient health promotion information for patients.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice