Watchdogs highlight concerns at Isle medical practice

The Care Quality Commission highlighted a lack of criminal record checks on staff who were appointed at South Axholme Medical Practice, along with poor management of medicines.

The practice was identified as high risk for the prescribing of one specific medicine but was receiving external support to reduce this.

Overall, the practice was found to be requiring improvement for ‘providing effective and well-led services’, following its inspection earlier this year. Eleven areas were listed as needing improvement.

The report states: “The practice was good for caring and responsive services.”

Key findings included that ‘aspects of safe practice were not in place. For example, criminal record checks through the disclosure and barring service (DBS) were not always undertaken prior to staff commencing employment. Medicines were not always well managed.’

But positive points were raised too: ‘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, although in one instance was not sustained.’

Data showed patient outcomes were mostly at or above average nationally. Patients said they were mostly treated with compassion, dignity and respect. All said they were involved in their care, and decisions about their treatment.

The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, and staff were supported to carry out their role, added the report. However, nursing staff did not receive formal clinical supervision.

In a statement, South Axholme Practice said: “The Practice has noted the “Requires Improvement” rating with great disappointment.

We take the content of the report very seriously. We wish to reassure patients that all issues raised by the CQC were fully addressed and we await a re-visit to confirm that they are satisfied with the measures we have undertaken to correct concerns raised in their report. We do encourage patients to read the full report at: http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-566926283 as the summary, in our opinion, lacks balance.”