Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Alexandra Group Medical Practice on 11th March 2015.  Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing well-led, effective, caring, responsive and safe services. It was also good for providing services for the populations groups we rate.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected 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.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

• 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.

• Patients said on occasions they found it difficult to make an appointment including urgent appointments available the same day.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.

• 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 areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider should

Ensure staff undertake adult safeguarding and Mental Capacity Act training.

Ensure emergency access for children under five years of age and those over 75 and vulnerable.

Ensure all staff have access to an annual appraisal.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice