Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at East Parade Medical Practice on 22 March 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 a system was in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• 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 could always make appointments with a named GP and felt there was continuity of care.
• The practice had good facilities and was equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There was a leadership structure and staff felt supported by the management team. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
• The GP and Practice Manager were aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour. This means they must be open and transparent with patients about their care and treatment, including when it goes wrong.

We saw areas of outstanding practice:

• The practice pro-actively and reactively managed their appointment system which meant their patients were always seen.

• The practice used proactive methods to improve patient outcomes and this was validated by their higher than the national performance indicators for treating patients with diabetes, and hypertension (high blood pressure).

• The GP provided Cryotherapy (freezing techniques for some skins lesions) to enable all patients groups to have care closer to home.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

During our announced inspection we spoke with patients, the registered provider (Dr Murray), the practice manager, practice nurse, and two members of reception staff.

We carried out this inspection because the provider had told us when they were first registered with the Commission they were not compliant in some outcome areas.

We spoke with the practice manager and Dr. Murray about this and saw what measures they had introduced and taken since registration to become compliant.

We saw the policy for recruiting staff had been reviewed and changed, and the provider had been responsive by employing extra cleaning staff when it was highlighted in an audit.

We saw steps had been taken to make sure the surgery was clean and tidy and that following an infection control audit, action had been taken to reduce the risk of spreading infection.

We also talked to some patients and asked about their experiences when visiting the practice. They told us they were satisfied with the care, support and advice they had received. One person said "The doctor is very approachable I can tell him anything." Another said "I am a new patient to the practice and have been very impressed so far with the care and treatment I have received." Another said “Very helpful and always good about seeing us” and “I have always found Dr Murray to be positive, sensitive and caring.”