Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Fleggburgh surgery on 18 November 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services. It was also good for providing services for older people; people with long-term conditions; families, children and young people; working age people; people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable and people experiencing poor mental health.

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

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
• 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 their 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.
• 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.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider should:

• Ensure that clinical waste bins stored outside are secured to prevent removal.

• Comply with practice action plan to improve infection prevention and control.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

People we spoke with told us they were more than satisfied with the service they received.

One person told us "It's a nice friendly practice, everyone is so helpful." Another person told us that they wouldn't want to have to go anywhere else to see a doctor, adding "everything is fine here as far as I'm concerned."

Of the seven people we spoke with, none had anything negative to say about the practice.

People we spoke with expressed how satisfied they were with the service they received, from the receptionist, nurse, doctors and management team. One person said "Yes, it’s a small practice but I couldn't get better treatment anywhere else, I'm sure of that." Another person added "I'd been going to the hospital for test after test, with no firm diagnosis. The doctor here decided to do some different tests and within days I was diagnosed and on the right medication."

The people we spoke with told us how easy and quick it was to get through to the practice on the phone to make an appointment. One person told us, “I usually get through within a few minutes and if I need to get a repeat prescription or make an appointment to see the doctor, then it’s always been a next day service."

The practice building was easy to access, though the provider may wish to note that the main door was difficult to open and close. There was ample parking. All windows facing public areas had blinds and privacy glass and there were lockable window and door shutters for security.