Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We inspected Ashfield Medical Centre on the 14th and 15th October 2014 as part of our new comprehensive inspection programme.

We have rated the practice as good. Patients were complimentary about the staff and the care and treatment they received.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Patients could usually get an appointment but they sometimes had difficulty contacting the practice by telephone.
• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and report incidents and near misses. Lessons were learned and communicated widely to support improvement.
• Patients were treated with courtesy and respect and involved in their diagnosis and treatment.
• The practice sought and acted upon feedback from staff and patients. 

We saw areas of outstanding practice including:-

• The practice had adopted the ‘Year of Care’ approach for patients with COPD. The practice had provided patients with additional information, including a copy of their care plan and their test results. This encouraged patients to be more proactive about their condition and aware of when to seek help.

• A staff ‘Recognition Scheme’ had been introduced to acknowledge outstanding behaviour or performance.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice