Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Coulson and Partners practice on 9 February 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 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 urgent appointments available the same day, although getting an appointment with a preferred GP was more difficult.
• 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.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• To consider more formal meetings involving all staff in the practice.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We spoke with patients at the practice and received mixed feedback. Some patients told us that they were happy with the service provided. One patient told us, "The staff are really nice here, they are generally pretty quick at seeing me too". Another patient told us, "I have never had any problems, the nurses are good and have sorted me out". Some patients told us that they were unhappy at aspects of the service. One patient told us, "The nurses and receptionists are really nice, but I have had a problem with one of the GPs they didn't seem interested in my problem". Another patient told us, "I really struggle to get an appointment at the practice, sometimes if you need an emergency one it can take days".

We found that patients were asked for their consent before treatment and that treatment options were discussed with patients before it was administered.