Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at St Nicholas Group Practice on 23 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.
• 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 was involved in local pilot schemes to improve outcomes for patients that included hosting a Parkinson’s disease community nurse specialist and taking part in risk profiling activity with Age UK.
• The practice was a teaching practice and had received a Gold Quality Teaching Practice award in 2013-2014 from the University of Manchester. The practice had also received a Royal College of General Practitioners Practice Accreditation award in 2014.
• 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 saw several areas of outstanding practice including:

• The practice had developed patient specific care plans and health action plans to support the provision of care and enable patients to be involved in their own care.
• The practice worked in conjunction with other services and provided a dedicated telephone line to support patients and families during the provision of end of life care.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Action should be taken to ensure equipment registers are accurately maintained and equipment safety checks are completed within recommended timescales.
• Action should be taken to record consideration, planning and implementation of all potential opportunities for improvement identified during infection prevention and control audits.
• Continue to identify the underlying causes and take action to reduce Quality Outcomes Framework exception reporting levels.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice