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CQC Report Posted or Updated on 25 Mar 2024

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Fullwell Cross Medical Centre on 14 December 2016.

Overall the practice is rated as GOOD.

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

  • there was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events
  • risks to patients were assessed and well managed. However, the practice procedure for checking that results were received for all cervical smears sent for testing was not always adhered to. The practice informed us following the inspection that immediate action had been taken to implement a weekly Audit to check that the procedure in place was adhered to
  • staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance
  • staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment
  • patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment
  • information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand
  • improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns
  • patient satisfaction rates with regards to appointments was comparable with local and national averages in most areas
  • the practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs
  • there was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management
  • the practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients which it acted on
  • the provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

The practice had identified that their elderly patient population was higher than the local average and in response the practice had introduced the post of Care of the Elderly Health Care Assistant (HCA). This was a Monday to Friday service (30 hours per week) providing home visits for urgent and routine assessments for elderly and housebound patients

and patients receiving palliative care. The HCA was contactable via mobile phone by both patients and staff and was supported in this role by the GP lead for older patients.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • the provider should continue to monitor patient satisfaction in relation to GP appointments and take action to improve the patient experience where appropriate
  • the provider should continue to monitor adherence to the procedure used to confirm that results are received for all cervical smears sent for testing

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Details of our rating from the CQC report
 

Safe

Effective

Caring

Responsive

Well-led

Overall population group

Older people

Good

Good

Good

Good

Good

Good

People with long term conditions

Good

Good

Good

Good

Good

Good

Families, children and young people

Good

Good

Good

Good

Good

Good

Working age people and the recently retired

Good

Good

Good

Good

Good

Good

People in vulnerable circumstances

Good

Good

Good

Good

Good

Good

People experiencing poor mental health

Good

Good

Good

Good

Good

Good

Overall Key Question

Good

Good

Good

Good

Good

 

Overall location

Good

 

       
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