Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at 8.30am on 8 March 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. 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.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that 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.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

We found one area of outstanding practice:

• Proactive management of diabetes. The practice had 544 patients on the diabetes register. Data showed that the practice had achieved HbA1c levels below 58mmol/mol in 56% of these patients (HbA1c is a measure of blood glucose levels. National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidance recommends levels below 58mmol/mol to prevent long-term complications). The practice had also completed the nine key care processes in 58% of diabetes patients in the current year (to ensure that the risk of diabetes related complications are kept to a minimum, NICE recommends that all patients should annually receive nine crucial tests as part of their diabetes management). In addition the practice had identified through proactive screening 575 patients at high risk of developing diabetes and since July 2015 provided 204 of them with diet and lifestyle advice to reduce the risk of diabetes.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We reviewed the information available to us about Belmont Medical Centre on 12 June 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.