Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at De Montfort Surgery on 7 January 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, well-led, effective, caring and responsive services. It was also good for providing services for older people, people with long term conditions, families, children and young people, working age people (including those recently retired and students), people who circumstances may make them vulnerable, and people experiencing poor mental health.

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.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Patients with Chinese as their first language were provided with translated new patient’s registration forms to welcome and familiarise themselves with the practice.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.
• 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.
• A mental health worker and counsellor held regular clinics at the practice to support 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.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider should

• Update arrangements processes and systems to ensure that emergency medicines and equipment are available for the doctor’s bags.
• Ensure staff receive training appropriate to their roles; and any further training needs identified and planned for.
• Some of the policies and procedures needed review including the infection control policy. This should include how often the infection prevention risk assessments or audits are undertaken in order to maintain cleanliness and hygiene standards; and fire procedures.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice