Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of New Pond Row Surgery on 7 January 2015. We visited the practice location at 35 South Street, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8AN. New Pond Row Surgery also operates a branch surgery at 38 Old Shoreham Road, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 0QT. We did not visit the branch surgery as part of our inspection.
Overall the practice is rated as good. Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing well-led, effective, caring and responsive services. It required improvement for providing safe services. It was also good for providing services for older people, people with long-term conditions, families, children and young people, working age people (including those recently retired and students), people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable and people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).
The inspection team spoke with staff and patients and reviewed policies and procedures. The practice understood the needs of the local population and engaged effectively with other services. The practice was committed to providing high quality patient care and patients told us they felt the practice was caring and responsive to their needs.
Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:
- 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.
- Risks to patients and staff were assessed and well managed, with the exception of those relating to the control of legionella bacteria.
- Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
- 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.
- The practice recognised the needs of its older population and had systems in place to support patients through care plans, hospital avoidance schemes and providing extra support for those patients who were vulnerable.
However, there were also areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.
Importantly, the provider must:
- Ensure that all recruitment checks are carried out and recorded as part of the staff recruitment process
- Ensure risk assessment and monitoring processes effectively identify, assess and manage risks relating to the risk of exposure of staff and patients to legionella bacteria.
In addition the provider should:
- Ensure all investigation records and responses to complaints are stored centrally to provide a clear audit trail of actions taken.
- Continue to review and improve access to the practice by phone.
- Repair the key cupboard within the practice to ensure the security of all areas of the practice.
- Ensure adequate staffing levels at all times, particularly to ensure reception staff are adequately supported.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice