Good CQC outcome for out-of-hours service

gtd healthcare’s out-of-hours service has been rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

A "clear vision, strategy and leadership structure" along with treating patients with "compassion, dignity and respect" feature among a number of key areas the organisation has been commended for.

The CQC inspection team visited four gtd healthcare out-of-hours treatment centres: Ashton GP Service, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Litherland Treatment Centre and Southport District General Hospital. Also, they spoke to a number of staff at head office and looked at processes, procedures and the quality and accuracy of information.

David Beckett, gtd healthcare’s chief executive, said he was pleased with the inspection outcome.

"The report emphasises our commitment to patient safety and patient care, which is a fundamental part of all our activity and is at the core of our values," he said.

"This demonstrates that we have a robust infrastructure in place that ensures consistency and continuity across the out-of-hours service.

"Praise for our clear leadership structure has led to staff feeling respected, valued and supported by management. Also, I am really pleased that through our multidisciplinary approach and collaborative working, clinical staff, who work extremely hard, have been recognised for their knowledge and skills to delivering effective treatment and services."

As part of the inspection, CQC comment cards were distributed across the five sites. Of the 70 that were completed, 67 were positive about the standard of care received and patients praised the understanding and professionalism of the GPs and nursing staff as well as a helpful and polite service from the receptionists. Patients were satisfied with the availability and timeliness of the appointments and complimented the service from the booking-in process through to the information they received after the consultation.

Additional key areas of good practice that were highlighted in the report include:

• an open and transparent approach to safety
• patients’ care needs were assessed and delivered in a timely way according to need
• patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment
• the out-of-hours service had clearly defined and embedded systems and processes in place to keep patients safe and safeguarded from abuse
• staff were clear about the organisation’s vision and their responsibilities in relation to it
• the organisation has a clear vision and strategy and supporting business plans
• staff said the senior management team were approachable and always took the time to listen
• there is a culture of openness and honesty within the service and staff have the opportunity to raise any issues and feel confident and supported in doing so
• there is a focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels within the service, for example, Healthcare Professional Line and the Innovation Fund

While we acknowledge that some areas for improvement have been identified, including easy access to policies and procedures, reviewing how information is cascaded about lead roles and ensuring staff participate in clinical audits, we believe a number of these are in fact being delivered. However, work is underway to ensure staff have greater awareness of certain activities and we will make the necessary changes.

David Beckett concluded: "I would like to extend my thanks to all staff who not only met with the CQC inspection team but who work extremely hard and often under pressure within the out-of-hours team.

"Staff commitment, dedication and drive to provide the best possible service for patients has enabled the organisation to receive this ‘good’ rating."