Improvements at GP surgery

Lister Lane Surgery in Halifax is now rated “good” in all five parts of the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) inspection procedure after a re-visit by the watchdog.

The surgery had been rated “good” overall but “requires improvement” for whether its services were safe when the CQC first visited in April 2015.

Patients had praised the surgery during that inspection. The 2015 report said: “All told us they were satisfied with the care provided by the practice and said their dignity and privacy was respected.

“They also told us the practice was always clean and tidy.”

But inspectors found regular checks for legionella bacteria had not been carried out.

Staff told the CQC the fire alarm was not tested regularly and fire drills not performed.

The storage of medicines was also criticised by the CQC.

Now safety has been deemed up to standard by the CQC after the practice, which also runs Nursery Lane and Boothtown surgeries, carried out an urgent action plan.

The CQC’s latest report said: “We were shown the detailed fire risk assessments for Lister Lane and Nursery Lane Surgeries, and saw that action plans had been formulated following these assessments and the necessary actions had been carried out.

“A legionella assessment had been completed at Lister Lane and Nursery Lane Surgeries and an action plan was in place.

“Medicine storage arrangements had been reviewed and improved to ensure medicines were appropriately logged and stored.

“We were shown evidence of the practice action plan in relation to medicine storage, and we saw that medicines were safely stored in the practice.”

GP surgeries are rated on whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.