Swallownest Health Centre: 'Safe care and treatment' not provided at GP practice, inspection finds

Swallownest Health Centre has been given a ‘requires improvement’ rating by the Care Quality Commission, after being found in breach of legal requirements under the Health and Social Care Act.

The inspection found ‘no proper and safe management of medicines’ to be in place.

Patients taking high risk medicines were not being sufficiently reviewed, and emergency medicine and equipment were not maintained strictly enough.

Additionally, patient records did not include the actions which were taken after medicine safety alerts.

The practice, on Worksop Road, Swallownest, provides general treatment of disease, disorder or injury, as well as diagnostic and screening procedures, family planning, maternity and midwifery, and surgical procedures.

Incomplete records of incidents - and of the following investigations and actions taken - is also in breach of the Act, amounting to safe care and treatment not being provided.

Health and safety risk assessments for patients receiving care, in order to reduce these risks, are also not currently being carried out as is legally required.

The report also states that, although not a breach of the law, the provider should maintain records of child safeguarding meetings.

The service was rated 'requires improvement' for leadership, safety and effectiveness. For being caring and responsive, it was rated 'good'.

Moving forward, the provider is required to send a report to CQC about how it will meet these regulations, ensuring care and treatment are provided to patients in a safe way, risk assessments are carried out, and medicines are managed safely.

The health centre is part of a wider network of GP practices under the Rother Valley South Primary Care Network.