A GP surgery in Cornwall has been told it 'requires improvement' after its latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection.
Veor Surgery in Camborne was visited by CQC inspectors on June 5 2023 who carried out an announced focused inspection at the surgery.
Overall, Veor Surgery was rated as "requires improvement" having been downgraded from its last inspection in December 2021 when it was rated 'Good' overall.
The CQC carried out this inspection in order to follow up on concerns reported to them. During the inspection, they reviewed the safe, effective, responsive, and well-led key questions.
In its report, the CQC states it found that: "There were inconsistencies in the systems and processes to ensure infection prevention and control was managed safely.
"There was a backlog of patient records waiting for summarisation. Patient information stored in the electronic clinical system had not been appropriately actioned or filed.
"Medicine management procedures and systems had not been consistently followed to ensure the safety of the prescribing of medicines, stock control and security of prescriptions.
"Patients had not received effective care and treatment that met their needs. Monitoring processes, and oversight of processes, had not been carried out appropriately to ensure patients were in receipt of effective correct care and treatment with the medicines prescribed to them or for their long-term conditions. However, the practice had taken immediate action following the inspection to address these issues.
"The provision of childhood immunisations did not meet national targets. The provision of cervical screening for eligible women did not meet national targets
"Not all processes for supporting staff were formalised and recorded.
"Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
"The way the practice was led and managed did not always promote the delivery of high-quality, person-centered care due to a lack of consistent oversight of systems and processes."
The CQC also states that it found one breach of regulation, and that the practice must: "Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care."
It also went on to state that: "The provider should take action so that information relating to the recruitment checks and all training undertaken by staff is retained and available at all times.
"The provider should implement a system so that checks of emergency equipment were detailed and accurate.
"The provider should continue to embed the auditing process of medicine prescribing by non medical prescribers.
"The provider should develop the system for recording significant events and the associated action plans.
"The provider should improve the processes to demonstrate the support provided to staff.
"The provider should take action to improve the recording of consent obtained from patients prior to the delivery of care and treatment.
"The provider should take action to audit systems and processes to monitor and improve their performance."
Vweor Surgery was rated in the following ways for each section.
- Safe - Requires improvement
- Effective - Requires improvement
- Caring - rating of "Good" carried forward from the previous inspection
- Responsive - Good
- Well-led - Requires improvement
A spokesperson for Veor Surgery said: "The Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected our GP practice in June this year and identified some issues that related to housekeeping, an HR file, internal processes and uptake of screening/vaccinations.
"We would like to reassure our patients that we put an action plan in place quickly and are addressing the issues - most of them have already been resolved.
"We are liaising with the CQC and local Integrated Care Board (ICB) as part of this process. All our services are running as normal and patients should attend their appointments as usual.
"We are committed to providing safe and effective services which meet the clinical needs of our patients. We are also committed to the long-term future of our surgery - for example, we have expanded our frontline service provision with recruiting 3 GPs, and in partnership with our PCN a social prescriber, three physiotherapists, a mental health nurse, two health and wellbeing coaches that have increased the number of sessions for patients.
"We are exploring further recruitment options too."
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