Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Chelford Surgery on 31 May 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 although the storage of oxygen cylinders was considered to be a risk.
• 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 easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice worked well with its Patient Representative Group to better understand the needs of its patients
• 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.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Review, and describe more clearly, the system in place to make sure all drugs taken on home visits are in date.

• Arrange for the safe storage (prevent them falling) of oxygen cylinders in the dispensary and for records to be kept of those cylinders being checked along with the defibrillator.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We spoke to three patients who all told us that they were happy with the care that they received from the Chelford Surgery. One person said; "I rang for an appointment this morning and got one straight away." Another person said; "The doctors are very kind. They always listen to me."

We spoke to two doctors, the practice manager, a practice nurse and a practice health care assistant about the safeguarding procedures and policies in place at the practice. All the staff had received training in safeguarding and were able to describe the action they would take if they had any concerns about a patient.

We looked around the building and found it to be suitable for use. It was clean and well maintained. We looked at the maintenance records for the building and saw that regular checks were made to ensure that safety and security was maintained.

We looked at the procedures for recruitment of new staff and we saw that all the appropriate checks were made to ensure that staff were suitable to work at the practice.