Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We inspected this service on 8 April 2015 as part of our new comprehensive inspection programme.

The overall rating for this service is good. We found the practice to be good in the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led domains. We found the practice provided good care to older people, people with long term conditions, families, children and young people, the working age population and those recently retired, people in vulnerable circumstances and people experiencing poor mental health.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• The majority of patients told us they were able to book appointments when required. However, other patients told us it was difficult to contact the practice by telephone, and often when they got through, all of the same day appointments had been taken.
• The practice offered a range of in house services for patients, for example ultrasounds, community hearing care services and psychological therapies.
• There were inter-practice arrangements in place to provide services to patients registered with other GP practices in the locality.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

However, there were also areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

The provider should:

• Ensure all required recruitment checks are undertaken and kept in the relevant staff file.
• Clarify the safeguarding leads within the practice and ensure all staff are made aware.
• Ensure a system is in place to check the professional registration of the clinical staff is in date to ensure they are fit to practice.
• Introduce a system for identifying, responding to, managing and reviewing risks to patients and the service.
• Introduce a system to record and review all complaints.
• Review the access to and availability of appointments.
• Ensure policies and procedures are regularly reviewed and updated.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice