Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Creech Medical Centre on 24 November 2015. 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 saw two areas of outstanding practice:

• The patient participation group (PPG) was prominently active within the practice and was involved in staff recruitment. They sat on the interview panel during recent interviews for a new practice manager; had arranged patient educational events; and as a result of their patient survey feedback, the appointment system had been revised and improved.

• The practice worked with local ‘Village Agents’ to help provide support to isolated patients on their lists by providing information to patients who might benefit from extra support or contact.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Review systems for recording alerts on the patient record system to ensure GPs, particularly locum GPs, are made aware of any concerns about patients.

• Review the programme of audits to ensure practice performance can be measured effectively in the absence of the Quality and Outcomes Framework measures.

• Review care plans to ensure they are routinely updated as well as following changes to patients’ needs or diagnosis.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice