Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Michael Duggan on 1 December 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.
• 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 identified approximately 4% of their list as carers.
• Members of the patient participation group (PPG) we spoke with were positive about the practice and the care provided.
• The practice met regularly with the PPG and responded positively to proposals for improvements.
• 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.
• 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.

We saw two areas of outstanding practice:

• There was a carers champion who offered assistance and advice on the financial support available. Patients were able to book time with the carers champion so that they could complete applications for financial support and blue badge parking permit applications together. This service was available at time to suit the carer including in the extended opening hours. We saw that three carers were in receipt of financial support that they would otherwise not have been aware of. There were comments made by patients that by receiving this advice from the carers champion they had avoided a long wait for help from external advice agencies and received support sooner.
• The carers champion and locality carers lead had arranged a carers event at the practice in September 2016. Invitations and SMS text messages were sent to all patients that had been identified as carers. Guest speakers attended the event to give advice. For example, a local travel agent attended and gave a talk on taking holidays, travel insurance and types of holiday packages that were available for people with disabilities. The event was also attended by a representative from Stevenage Borough Council and Herts Healthy Hub. Over 30 carers attended and gave positive feedback. They had asked for further events and another had been planned for March 2017.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice