Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Blofield Surgery on 29 September 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 a system was in place for reporting and recording significant events and complaints. However, we noted that the learning extracted from the events was not comprehensive and therefore opportunities to minimise risks to patients were missed.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with 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 relatively 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.
• 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 practice used a range of assessments to manage the risks to patients.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• The practice should put systems in place to record the movement of medicines stock throughout the practice and dispensary to ensure an audit trail for all medicines.
• The practice should ensure there are effective systems in place to identify trends and training needs from significant events and complaints
• Ensure there is a regular programme of two cycle audits undertaken by clinicians.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice