GP surgery in Quarry Bank improves to 'good' rating following latest inspection

Concerns were raised last year by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that the practice nurse and staff, who chaperoned the 3,000 registered patients at Thorns Road Surgery, in Quarry Bank, had not completed criminal checks

Inspectors also said the practice lacked risk assessments for legionella disease.

Read the CQC report

A new report published by the CQC revealed the checks were now being carried out at the surgery, and a lack of fire drills and monitoring temperatures of vaccination fridges had also been resolved.

Chief Inspector of General Practice Professor Steve Field, in his report, said: "Since our comprehensive inspection in October 2015, the practice had applied for disclosure and barring (DBS) checks for non-clinical staff members who chaperoned and for the practice nurse.

"We saw evidence to support this as part of our desk based inspection. Records demonstrated the cold chain was appropriately monitored.

"Conversations with the practice manager also confirmed the practice followed appropriate cold chain processes in line with national guidelines, such as appropriate temperature recording and ensuring thermometers were reset after each recording.

"Regular fire drills were taking place and there were risk assessments in place to assess risks associated with infection control including a formal risk assessment for legionella."

The only remaining concern raised in this new report was that the surgery has no defibrillator.

Mr Field added: "Although the risk was assessed as low the practice had noted that they would prefer to purchase a defibrillator as soon as the funding became available."

The practice manager, who did not wish to be named, said the surgery was pleased with the improved rating but did not wish to comment further.