Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Ashcroft Surgery on 16 August 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.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. We saw that development and learning was prioritised by the practice and staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment during consultations with their GP.
• 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 we spoke with on the day said it was easy to make an appointment with their preferred GP. Urgent appointments were 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. Staff told us that they would feel confident to raise any concerns with the lead GP or practice manager.
• The practice sought feedback from patients and the Patient Participation Group (PPG), which it acted on.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.
• The practice had developed a medication monitoring template and a DMARD (disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs) initiation and monitoring template, which were in the process of being used district wide via the CCG.
• The policies and protocols were available for public viewing via the practice website and were clearly written, in particular the bereavement policy and actions.
• One of the GPs had written the book ‘The Essential Handbook for GP Training and Education’ which is widely used throughout the UK.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice