Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Allport Medical Centre - H Walton on 19 July 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events. Safety alerts were received and acted upon.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Staff had been trained to deal with medical emergencies and emergency medicines and equipment were available.
• Infection control procedures were in place.
• 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they could make appointments easily and urgent appointments were available the same day for all children and those patients who needed them.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There was a clear approach to working with others to improve care outcomes with a clear strategy and objectives including engaging with other key partners in providing health services.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff were well supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on with evident improvements for patients and staff.

• There was a high level of staff satisfaction with staff having worked there for long periods of time and low staff turnover rates. Staff were supervised, felt involved and worked as a team. Staff were proud of the practice and enjoyed working there.

• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

There were areas of practice where the provider should make improvements:

• Review the system for documenting and sharing the assessments of the safety of temperature sensitive medicines in fridges.

• Review the system in place to log and account for prescription pads.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice