Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Fisher & Partners on 7 July 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• 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.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 practice had a strong ethos for training. Clinical staff were able to access a number of different training elements. This included a monthly dedicated practice educational meeting, protected learning time, talks from external professionals and daily shared learning with other staff members.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.
• The practice had reviewed patient access and was able to offer evening appointments every week day until 8pm. This service was jointly run with another local practice.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice