Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Gants Hill Medical Centre on 17 November 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 one area of outstanding practice. The practice had worked with the Patient Participation Group (PPG) to hold a health awareness and promotion event in a local community hall. GPs from the practice had taken lead roles on the day and staff from the practice had provided information and advice to visitors. This event was open to the public, was attended by a range of community health and support organisations including Age UK, Diabetes UK, Healthwatch, Macmillan Cancer Support and the British Heart Foundation, each of whom provided a stall and personnel to talk to visitors. The event was promoted by the PPG and the practice and was attended by approximately 200 members of the public.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Continue to review patient satisfaction around telephone access and overall patient recommendation and take steps to assess the impact of recent changes.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice