Archived: The Dunstable Primary Care Centre

We found that people were not kept waiting and were seen promptly on arrival. Information was appropriately triaged to the medical team to ensure that people received the appropriate care and treatment.

The centre had effective systems in place to minimise the risk of people acquiring an infection.

We found that there were appropriate arrangements in place to ensure that medicines were recorded, stored, handled and administered safely. Equipment was available in sufficient quantities; and regular checks were undertaken to ensure that they were suitable and safe to use.

There were effective recruitment and selection processes in place which meant that appropriate checks were undertaken before staff commenced employment. We found that staff were provided with on-going training to enable them to deliver safe and effective care to people.

People told us they were very satisfied with the service they had received and said the initial telephone contact had reassured them and made them feel safe. The records that we looked at showed that people were either seen in person by the doctor, or given a telephone consultation with the triage nurse or a doctor in a timely way. We were told that appointments were made with people during their initial telephone contact, and we observed that people attending the surgery were not kept waiting and were seen promptly on arrival at the centre.

We found there were sufficient appropriately trained and skilled staff working at this service, and where people required treatment or medication this was provided efficiently either on site or by the mobile doctor facility that was linked to this service.

The record systems in place at this service were secure and enabled staff to efficiently share information with other health professionals to promote continuity of care for people in the local community who needed care or treatment outside the hours of their own GP services.