Patient Group Meeting – Thursday 21st August 2014
Present:Dr C GreenMaxine Baron PMFiona Adair Deaf Interpreter
Group Members
Meeting was organised to review the report from the CQC with the Patient Group to discuss their feedback and findings.
We discussed the 5 areas that CQC review when they inspect health premises these are;-
Are They Safe
Are Services Effective
Are Services Caring
Are Services Responsive to people’s needs
Are Services Well-led
Liverpool House passed every area apart from one – which will be of concern to patients and service users – Are They Safe.
We went on to review the areas of concern.
The areas of concern were medication/drugs–drugs in the treatment room are kept in a cupboard without locks we also need to keep a log of use of drugs – we intend to put locks on a cupboard in the treatment room & carry out regular stock checks.
Consulting/Treatment Room – It was observed that doors were left open & rooms were left unattended, this is a high risk as computers can be accessed and children can access sharps bins. We intend to put keypad locks on all rooms that are not patient accessible.
Infection Control - Environment not clean
No disposable hand towels in toilets
No liquid soap/dispenser in toilets
Water bottles stored in bathroom (cross contamination)
Mop bucket stored in bathroom near toilet (cross contamination)
Wallpaper in clinical rooms – not suitable
No splash-backs behind sinks
Waiting area chairs – worn & non wipe able
Carpets worn, soiled & no record of cleaning
Paintwork & wallpaper damaged
No emergency lighting or fire doors in place throughout
Fire exits were obstructed & not free of combustibles
Privacy & dignity of patients were not maintained in the Practice
Sharps bins in reach of children
No baby changing unit
No 5-year electrical safety certificate
Prescription PadsThese were not being monitored – we need to keep a record of this when prescriptions are given to Doctors etc this is easily remedied
Significant EventsWe need to have a more robust system of acting upon these & discussing as a team – CQC recommend we could improve learning in this area
Staff MeetingsWe need to have more meetings & they need to be minuted
RecruitmentLast 2 recruits did not have CRB checks & the verbal references were not documented. Our LMC have advised that non clinical staff do not require a CRB check.
Emergency PlanningStaff telephone numbers need to be added to the Continuity Plan – we can add these easily.
We plan to invite the Fire Department along to inspect the building and see what they
advise.
Move to new premises – the Surgery is planning to move to the new purpose built Surgery at the Alfred Barrow site. This would resolve a lot of the current problems that we have with the current premises. Dr Green assured everyone that Liverpool House would remain a distinct physical entity in the new premises and that they had no plans now or in the future to merge with the other practices moving into the new premises. Liverpool House will always maintain its own identity.
The patients present expressed their concerns about the planned move to new premise.
Dr Green felt that if we can meet the CQC standards within the current premises then we shouldn’t move – the patient’s agreed and are keen for the practice to maintain its current structure - warm, friendly and small – Dr Green agrees with them.
One vital area where we fail is access for disabled and elderly patients – but the surgery does try to accommodate this group by seeing the patients in the 2 rooms downstairs this is both GP’s and Nurses.
We had a healthy debate about the pro’s and cons’ of moving into new premises.
The patients were keen to gauge what the other Doctors at the practice’s opinions were – Dr Green couldn’t really speak for them. Dr Green emphasised that he liked the current location he went on to say that at present we are not allowed to close our list to other new patients joining the practice but the more patients that the surgery has to take on then this will alter the concept of the practice as it currently is.
Dr Green has grave reservations about the move!
There was some discontent in the room about the local GP who is leading the move to the new premises.
The patients have suggested that the Doctors buy the off licence knock through & renovate that.
It was agreed that it would be interesting to glean what the rest of the patient population’s views were regarding the move to new premises. There was a unanimous decision to run a survey in-house to look at this.
Agreed Actions;-
- Patient survey – plan this for December once the flu vaccination period is over
- Fire Brigade to survey the premises
- Start making improvements to the building to meet CQC standards.
- Feedback to patient group in January with the results of the survey