We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Barnt Green Surgery on 7 December 2018 as part of our inspection programme. The practice was previously rated good on 26 May 2016.

We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:

•what we found when we inspected

•information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and

•information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We have rated this practice as good overall and good for all population groups.

We found that:

•The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.

•Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.

•Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.

•The feedback we received from the care homes was very positive about the practice.

•The results from the national patient survey were higher than average in a number of areas.

•The practice organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.

•The practice had a focus on learning and improvement. Since the last inspection the practice had carried out 33 audits to improve outcomes for patients.

•The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

•The practice contacted patients over the age of 90 on hot days to ensure they were drinking enough water.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Barnt Green Surgery on 30 March 2016. Overall the practice is rated as Good.

Our key findings 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.

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. The GPs were leads in different areas and had weekly meetings with the practice manager to discuss concerns and share learning.

• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by the GPs and the practice manager

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed, although checks to some equipment were not always documented

• Patients described staff as helpful, caring and commented that they were treated them with dignity and respect.

• Patients 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 nurses had been trained to sign patients up to an online tool called mapmydiabetes which helped patients manage their condition by giving them support and information about their condition.

• The practice had a one stop system which meant that patients who had multiple long-term conditions only had to attend once and all their conditions were reviewed holistically.

• The practice worked hard to maintain positive patient feedback by constantly reviewing their access and adjusted their appointment system sometimes on a day to day basis to ensure that supply met demand.

• The practice had a carer support worker offering support to patients who were carers. This was funded by the CCG in collaboration with Worcestershire Association of Carers. The practice had strong links with the support worker. Carers could be referred by any member of staff or patients were able to self-refer.

We saw an area of outstanding practice:

However there was an area of practice where the provider should make improvements:

• The practice invited a patient with a visual impairment to come and speak with reception staff about the barriers they faced. As a direct result of this the practice made some changes to their website to make things easier for patients with visual impairments, and also ensured they had easy read leaflets available. The practice also invited Deaf Direct to come and speak with staff. Staff reported that they had found this particularly helpful and now had alerts on patients’ notes so that extra support could be provided to patients with a hearing impairment.

The provider should:

• Ensure that records of all equipment checks are accurately maintained including those for portable electrical appliances.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice