Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Cromwell Place Surgery on 12 April 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
• The practice had a patient focused culture that ensured risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance, such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) best practice guidelines. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect. We received strongly positive feedback about both individual staff members and the practice as a whole.
• Staff consistently went over and above to meet the needs of their patients; including going out of their way to make the lives of patients easier. For example, the practice manager had assisted patients to the hospital when they were unable to get patient transport.
• Information about local services and support groups was clearly available to patients. Furthermore, patients we spoke to were aware of how to make a suggestion or a complaint to the practice.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. For example, the practice had made further adaptations to the disabled toilet following feedback from patients.
• Patients told us they were able to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt very well supported by management.
• The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on. For example, the practice had worked alongside the PPG to address issues with the telephone line following previous concerns regarding telephone access.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice