Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Astley General Practice on 23 May 2017. 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 a system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise risks to patient safety.

• Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Results from the national GP patient survey showed patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients were truly respected and valued as individuals and were empowered as partners in their care. Feedback from patients about their care was consistently positive.
• The practice had a proactive patient participation group (PPG) who supported the community and patients. The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback from patients and from the PPG. For example the recent renovation and redecoration of the surgery was implemented by the practice in cooperation with the PPG.
• Patients we spoke with said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• The practice had strong and visible clinical and managerial leadership and governance arrangements, and the leadership, governance and culture were used to drive and improve the delivery of high-quality person-centered care.
• The provider was aware of the requirements of the duty of candour. Examples we reviewed showed the practice complied with these requirements.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice:

• The practice had recognised that loneliness can impact on the health and wellbeing of its patient population and had addressed this through community integration. This had been driven by the practice and the PPG. It had included the production of a comprehensive newsletter which had been distributed across the population, offering patient transport to those who had difficulty in attending the practice and facilitating social events both in the practice and the local community hall. We saw evidence that this had reduced social isolation and increased well-being for several patients, especially those who were housebound. Staff in co-operation with other patients had collected and returned patients from their homes. Any monies raised from these events were given to local and national charities.
• The practice had a very active PPG which showed a person centred culture for the patients and care they received. There was evidence of a strong engagement within the local community to help local patients and the local community. The group had strong leadership from both the chair and vice chair, worked collaboratively with the local community to help support local events, offered dementia sessions to families to help care for loved ones and invited all housebound patients to participate in PPG meetings, and offered to provide transport for them. They also produced a comprehensive newsletter that was sent to all patients registered with the practice. The recent renovation and redecoration of the surgery was implemented by the practice in cooperation with the PPG.
• The practice identified that the need to promote lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) information and services for those patients. The practice staff had received training and there was a LGBT notice board in the waiting area that promoted LGBT patient inclusion in the practice, had information on LGBT matters and signposted them to appropriate available services. LGBT patients commented on how they considered the new patient process for them to be welcoming and inclusive. This work had been accredited by the LGBT foundation, a charity based in Manchester, and the practice received their “pride in practice” silver award for this.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice