This service is rated as Good overall.
The key questions are rated as:
Are services safe? – Good
Are services effective? – Requires improvement
Are services caring? – Good
Are services responsive? – Good
Are services well-led? – Good
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Malling Health Primary Care Service Sandwell on 29 November 2022. This was part of our inspection programme and to provide a rating for the service.
At this inspection we found:
- The service had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the service learned from them and improved their processes.
- The provider had implemented processes to keep patients and staff safe and had processes to escalate safeguarding concerns.
- The provider routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. The provider was aware that the service was not meeting the targets specified by its commissioners and they were acting to improve the quality of services.
- Staff treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
- Clinical rooms and waiting area space was limited and patients were not always able to access care in a timely manner. However, the provider had implemented processes to mitigate risk and prioritise patients and we found the provider was taking appropriate action to improve access including liaising with the NHS trust to improve facilities.
- The service sought patient feedback, learnt from complaints and made improvements to safety and quality.
- Leaders understood the challenges to improving high quality care and were working with the hospital trust to make necessary improvements to the service.
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
- To continue to work with the hospital trust to identify solutions that will enable them to effectively meet the increases in demand and offer more timely access.
- To Improve oversight of staff training to ensure staff remain up to date with their required training.
Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA
Chief Inspector of Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services