Sheffield walk-in centre makes ‘significant improvements’ following inadequate rating

It comes as the service prepares for an imminent re-inspection.

The NHS walk-in centre on Broad Lane, in the city centre, was rated inadequate overall by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after a surprise inspection on April 25 following concerns.

It was put into special measures and warned it could close down if improvements were not made.

The CQC said it would return for a re-inspection within six months.

OneMedicare, which runs the centre, legally challenged the inspection and enforcement notices, saying they were not representative of the findings on the day or the service in general, according to a Sheffield Council document prepared for a meeting of the health scrutiny committee this week.

The report updates councillors on the service’s progress since the inspection.

Despite challenging the rating, the service immediately started working to make improvements and remedy concerns.

This included mock CQC inspections in May and September which found significant improvements and that safety standards were being met.

Changes included recruiting new staff, updating systems and processes, introducing quarterly reviews, adding more chairs to the waiting room, putting a new staff rota in place and more training.

In the report, OneMedicare said: “The senior team continues to work with the local team on a daily basis within the service to drive further improvement, support with embedding improvements made, and promote a safety focused culture.

“OneMedicare is reviewing its winter planning to ensure that there is the right workforce capacity is present and that patients do not face long waits through the winter months, and that staff are well supported through what is a challenging time for the NHS.

“We are also working with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals to expand on what services can be delivered within what is a key community asset, as well as ensuring the physical estate is optimised and made the most of.”

The walk-in centre is open every day of the year and sees between 135 and 165 patients a day.

The health scrutiny committee will discuss the report in a meeting on Wednesday, October 11.