Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Andrew Buffey’s practice, also known as Church Walk Surgery on 14 June 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.

• 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.

• A care coordinator worked directly with patients who suffered with a long term health condition both in-house and in the community to improve their level of care and to help reduce unplanned admissions to hospital.

• 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.

• 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 had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.

• The practice was a training practice for nurse students who were enrolled with the University of Lincoln. Members of the nursing team were trained to support student nurses during placement with the practice.

• In 2015, the practice launched a free fruit and vegetables scheme whereby patients who were either on a low income, suffered with a learning disability or other long term health condition were encouraged to help themselves to free fruit and vegetables provided from the practice.

• The practice provided an effective menopause clinic for female patients to ensure they received additional information, support and advice and access to various treatment options.

• 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:

• Ensure appraisal processes include competency assessments at least annually for staff working within the dispensary.

• Ensure minimum and maximum ambient room temperature ranges are recorded within the dispensary to provide assurance that medicines are not stored above the recommended upper limit of 25 degrees centigrade.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

The Church Walk Surgery was welcoming and friendly with courteous staff. A varied selection of information was displayed in the waiting room for the benefit of the patients. This included notices about the surgery and leaflets on health promotion and other support services.

We received some very positive comments from people about the surgery and the staff on the day of inspection. One person told us: "The doctor is friendly and helpful, I don’t come that often but when I do come I seem to get an appointment quite quickly."

The staff members we spoke with told us they involved people in their own care and gained their consent before treatment was given. People we spoke with also told us they felt safe and confident with the care provided at the surgery.

The provider showed us evidence that the surgery protected people against the risks associated with dispensing medicines.

We saw that people were protected from the risks of unsafe or inappropriate care because their records were accurate, appropriate and well maintained