What is the Quality of Safety at Highlands Practice

Positive

"• There was an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events • Lessons were shared to make sure action was taken to improve safety in the practice."

Positive

"The practice had a variety of other risk assessments in place to monitor safety of the premises such as control of substances hazardous to health and infection control and legionella Legionella is a term for a particular bacterium which can contaminate water systems in buildings."

Positive

"The practice had systems in place for notifiable safety incidents and ensured this information was shared with staff to ensure appropriate action was taken • The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients which it acted on."

Positive

"Overview of safety systems and processes The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems processes and practices in place to keep patients safe and safeguarded from abuse which included: • Arrangements were in place to safeguard children and vulnerable adults from abuse."

Positive

"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."

Positive

"We saw evidence that lessons were shared and action was taken to improve safety in the practice."

Positive

"This included support training for all staff on communicating with patients about notifiable safety incidents."

Positive

"We reviewed safety records incident reports patient safety alerts and minutes of meetings where these were discussed."

Positive

"There was a health and safety policy available with a poster in the reception office which identified local health and safety representatives."

Neutral

"This covered such topics as safeguarding infection prevention and control fire safety health and safety and confidentiality."

Neutral

"• Staff received training that included: safeguarding fire safety awareness and basic life support however we found no evidence that staff had undertaken information governance training."

Positive

"Our findings Safe patient care The practice had systems in place to report and record safety incidents complaints and safeguarding concerns to ensure safe patient care was maintained."

Positive

"Monitoring safety and responding to risk GPs we spoke with told us there were arrangements in place for assessing and responding to individual patient risk."

Positive

"Most of the patients we spoke with felt safe when using the service and raised no concerns about their safety at the practice."

Neutral

"For example: • Patients receiving end of life care carers those at risk of developing a longterm condition and those requiring advice on their diet smoking and alcohol cessation."

Positive

"This report describes our judgement of the quality of care at this service."

Positive

"Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns."

Positive

"The practice had a strong and visible leadership with staff being clear about their roles and responsibilities Most of the patients we spoke with and comment cards reviewed showed patients were very happy with the quality of care and treatment they had received."

Positive

"The provider had a range of mechanisms in place to obtain feedback about performance quality of care provided and patient experiences to improve the quality of services provided."

Positive

"This report describes our judgement of the quality of care at this service."

Positive

"They also told us they were satisfied with the care provided by the practice and said their dignity and privacy was respected."

Positive

"• Curtains were provided in consulting rooms to maintain patients’ privacy and dignity during examinations investigations and treatments."

Positive

"Patient consultations took place in lockable and or closed rooms to ensure their privacy and dignity was maintained."

Positive

"Staff we spoke with demonstrated awareness of the practice’s policy regarding patient and information confidentiality and could describe how they worked to ensure that patient s privacy was maintained."

Positive

"• Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse in vulnerable adults and children."

Positive

"Overview of safety systems and processes The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems processes and practices in place to keep patients safe and safeguarded from abuse which included: • Arrangements were in place to safeguard children and vulnerable adults from abuse."

Positive

"The practice had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening."

Positive

"Staff we spoke with were aware of their duty to report any potential abuse or neglect to safeguard patients using the service."

Positive

"Appropriate arrangements were in place in relation to involving patients in decisions about their care and service provision safeguarding people from abuse management of medicines and the maintenance of suitable equipment."

Neutral

"There were appropriate arrangements in place to safeguard mothers babies children and young people from abuse and ensure they received immunisations antenatal and postnatal checks in line with national guidance."

Positive

"The practice had a variety of other risk assessments in place to monitor safety of the premises such as control of substances hazardous to health and infection control and legionella Legionella is a term for a particular bacterium which can contaminate water systems in buildings."

Positive

"The Practice Nurses were the infection control clinical leads who liaised with the local infection prevention teams to keep up to date with best practice."

Neutral

"There was an infection control protocol in place and staff had received up to date training."

Neutral

"Annual infection control audits were undertaken and we saw evidence that action was taken to address any improvements identified as a result."

Neutral

"For example some practice chairs in patient areas were not wipeclean chairs and this was identified during the last infection control audit."

Positive

"The infection control arrangements in place did not fully protect people from the risk of infection."

Positive

"Cleanliness and infection control Patients we spoke with told us the premises were always clean when they visited and we observed the practice to be visually clean."

Neutral

"Staff we spoke with were aware of infection control guidelines and a cleaning schedule and cleaning audit were available."

Positive

"Patients said they felt the practice offered an excellent service and staff were helpful caring and treated them with dignity and respect."

Positive

"• Patients said they were treated with compassion dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment."

Positive

"• Patients said they were treated with compassion dignity and respect and they were involved in decisions about their care and treatment."

Positive

"They also told us they were satisfied with the care provided by the practice and said their dignity and privacy was respected."

Positive

"Results from the national GP patient survey showed patients felt they were treated with compassion dignity and respect."

Positive

"• Curtains were provided in consulting rooms to maintain patients’ privacy and dignity during examinations investigations and treatments."

Positive

"Our findings Respect dignity compassion and empathy Most of the patients we spoke with told us staff treated them with kindness and were happy with the care and treatment they received."

Positive

"Older people we spoke with and comment cards received showed people were cared for with dignity and respect and they were happy with the care provided."

Positive

"Patients told us they were treated with dignity and respect and this was confirmed when we observed staff being polite and courteous when supporting them on the day of our inspection."

Positive

"Most patients told us staff were caring and treated them with dignity and respect."

Positive

"This included being treated with kindness and respect on most occasions involvement in decision making about their treatment planning and delivery and the cleanliness of the practice."

Positive

"Patient consultations took place in lockable and or closed rooms to ensure their privacy and dignity was maintained."

Positive

"For example following receipt of a complaints form regarding difficulties trying to make an appointment and a perceived lack of assistance from the receptionist the Practice Manager contacted the receptionist on duty of the day of complaint to discuss the event."

Positive

"The information showed the practice maintained a log of complaints which included; the date the complaint was received and acknowledged; the outcome of the investigation and the date the complaint was closed."

Positive

"GP partners we spoke with told us if patients were not happy with the service they could make a formal complaint to ensure their concerns were addressed."

Positive

"Concerns and complaints The practice leaflet and posters on some of the noticeboards provided patients with information about how to make a complaint within the service and or contact details for NHS England."

Positive

"• There was an overarching governance framework which supported the delivery of the strategy and good quality care."

Positive

"Governance arrangements The practice had an overarching governance framework which supported the delivery of the strategy and good quality care."

Neutral

"• Staff received training that included: safeguarding fire safety awareness and basic life support however we found no evidence that staff had undertaken information governance training."

Neutral

"Governance arrangements The provider had staff leads for different aspects of clinical governance including medicines management infection prevention and control and information technology."

Positive

"There was evidence of quality improvement including clinical audit."

Positive

"Governance arrangements in place were used to drive improvement and quality assurance but some aspects required further development."

Positive

"• Improvements are required in relation to the regulations related to recruitment of staff assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision and records."