This service is rated as Requires improvement overall. This was the first inspection of this service using our current methodology.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Requires improvement

Are services effective? – Requires improvement

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Requires improvement

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at FarleyMed as part of our inspection programme.

FarleyMed is an independent GP and nursing service located near the town of Reading, Berkshire. The GP service had been reduced in the preceding two years and there had been no face-to-face GP consultations for 18 months. Patients requesting a GP consultation were signposted to other local GP services.

There were no patients accessing the service on the day of the inspection for us to speak with and there had been no patients in the two weeks prior to the inspection for us to collect comment cards from. We reviewed feedback from the provider to make our judgement.

Our key findings were:

• Safeguarding systems kept patients safe and safeguarded from abuse.
• There were systems and processes in place to manage risk, although not all risks had been appropriately identified in relation to infection control and emergency processes.
• The service ensures that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence based research or guidelines.
• There was no established system to review the training requirements of the nurse and they had not received an annual appraisal.
• Quality improvement activity, such as clinical audit, was not established or embedded.
• Patient feedback to the service was positive and patients were satisfied with their care and treatment.
• The culture of the service encouraged candour, openness and honesty.
• Governance arrangements for identifying and responding to risk required a review.

The areas where the provider must make improvements as they are in breach of regulations are:

• Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.
• Establish effective systems and processes to ensure good governance in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

(You can see full details of the regulations not being met at the end of this report).

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care

People we spoke to who used the practice told us that they were very satisfied with the treatment they received at FarleyMed. One person told us that the provider was a very caring GP who always took the time to listen. People told us that they were given information about treatment and options available to them before making any decisions. One person told us ‘she is a very knowledgeable GP, she is certainly the best we have been to’.

The practice gave patients the information they needed to assist them to make their own decisions about preferred methods of treatment. The provider and staff were aware of their responsibilities regarding protecting people from abuse.

The provider had a system in place to monitor and assess the service provided and patients were able to provide feedback at each visit.

There was a flexible appointments system in place. People told us that their emails were always replied to promptly and that they could access appointments at short notice.