Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Greenmoss Medical Centre on 10, 17 and 24 January 2017.

Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• There were systems in place to reduce risks to patient safety, for example, equipment checks were carried out, staff were trained to manage medical emergencies and procedures were in place to promote infection control.

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. Staff were aware of procedures for safeguarding patients from the risk of abuse.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.

• Staff felt well supported. They had access to training and development opportunities and had received training appropriate to their roles.

• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in decisions about their care and treatment. We saw staff treated patients with kindness and respect.

• Services were planned and delivered to take into account the needs of different patient groups.

• Access to the service was monitored to ensure it met the needs of patients.

• Information about how to complain was available. There was a system in place to manage complaints.

• There were systems in place to monitor and improve quality and identify risk.

We saw an area of outstanding practice:

• A member of the Patient Participation Group (PPG) had set up a Patient and Carers Group that had been established for six years and was now run every Friday from a room at the Greenmoss Medical Centre. Patients were able to drop-in for a cup of tea and advice and support around health and social issues. For example, the group had assisted patients to make healthcare appointments, attend hospital visits and access social services. The Patient and Carers Group also provided support to socially isolated patients. The group had close links with the Police Community Support Officer who visited the group to provide information on local matters which were of concern to patients. The group had established a patient transport service due to the limited availability of public transport and the rural nature of the local community. This was funded by donations and subscriptions and provided transport to the Patient and Carers Group, GP and hospital appointments.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Review the process for regular monitoring of prescriptions that have not been collected.

• Implement a system for tracking blank prescription forms through the practice in accordance with national guidance.

• Maintain a central record of training undertaken by all staff to assist with monitoring their training needs.

• Arrangements should be introduced to ensure the outcome from audits are regularly shared between clinicians.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice