Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Garston Medical Centre on 7 May 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

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, with the exception of infection control and storage of medicines. However, these were addressed immediately by the practice following our inspection.
• 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 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 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 all staff undertake infection control training.

• Ensure a fire drill takes place.

• Amend the locum/trainee information pack to include emergency procedures.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice