Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced desk based follow up inspection on 19 September 2016 to follow up concerns we found at Dr AJJ Bentley and Partners on 21 October 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. The practice had carried out a detailed risk assessment regarding legionella.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr AJJ Bentley and Partners on 21 October 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• Data from the Quality and Outcomes Framework showed patient outcomes were above average for the locality and the national average.

• There was robust safeguarding systems in place for both children and adults at risk of harm or abuse. The safeguarding lead delivered in-house training in additional topics to ensure all practice staff were up to date with relevant topics such as ‘how to recognise signs of abuse’.

• Childhood immunisation rates for the vaccinations given were higher than CCG/national averages. We saw positive examples of joint working with midwives and school nurses. A named health visitor attended weekly meetings in the practice.

• All staff had received Mental Capacity Act training and were aware of how to ensure patients were involved in decisions about their care. All GPs had received had Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) training.

• 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.

• The practice had an active patient participation group (PPG) who engaged with community services to provide in-house educational sessions for patients suffering long term health conditions.

• 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.

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events. However, not all serious incidents identified through complaints were investigated through the serious incident procedure.

• Risks to patients were not always assessed and well managed.

• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

• Ensure a risk assessment is in place for the control of legionella.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Ensure an up to date fire risk assessment is in place and regular fire drills take place.

  Ensure significant events are identified from complaints received and lessons learned shared with practice staff.

• Ensure that the complaints section of the patient information leaflet includes guidance around how to escalate a concern.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We inspected this practice on 6 May 2014 as part of our new comprehensive inspection programme. The practice had not previously been inspected.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Patients said clinicians treated them with compassion, dignity and respect; and they were involved in care and treatment decisions.
• Effective safeguarding policies and procedures were in place and were fully understood and implemented by staff.

In addition the provider should:

• Staff, including the partners, were unclear about who had the lead role for safeguarding matters. The practice could identify the person leading on this role and share with the staff.

• The practice should have a procedure to ensure relevant professional registrations were maintained.

• People who use the service should have more opportunities to feedback their experiences of using the service.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice