Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

This practice is rated as outstanding. (Previous inspection March 2015 – Outstanding)

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Outstanding

Are services responsive? – Outstanding

Are services well-led? - Outstanding

As part of our inspection process, we also look at the quality of care for specific population groups. The population groups are rated as:

Older People – Outstanding

People with long-term conditions – Outstanding

Families, children and young people – Outstanding

Working age people (including those recently retired and students – Outstanding

People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable – Outstanding

People experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia) - Outstanding

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Hollinwood Medical Practice on 20 March 2018 as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

• The practice had clear embedded systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice was open and transparent and valued the lessons learned from them and improved their processes.
• The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. There was a holistic approach to assessing, planning and delivering care which included understanding the importance of social and emotional needs in promoting well-being. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines and was proactive in working collaboratively with others and devising innovative approaches to improving patient outcomes.
• Staff were highly motivated to provide person-centred care and treatment and enable patients to be actively involved in managing their own care and treatment. Staff treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect and always took patients personal, cultural, social and religious needs into account.
• Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care when they needed it. The practice had been proactive in amending the appointment system in response to patient feedback.
• There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation. The organisation inspired staff to be innovative in their approach to meeting the needs of the practice population.

We saw areas of outstanding practice including:

• The provider employed focussed care practitioners, and one was based in the practice. GPs referred patients to the focussed care practitioner if their physical health needs were being addressed but they required more holistic help. Members of the team encouraged and motivated patients, helping with issues such as housing, debt, benefits and asylum applications and appeals, social isolation, attending appointments within secondary care and encouraging the uptake of health screening. We saw evidence of improved outcomes for patients.
• The practice was instrumental in setting up various social and support groups that supported the needs of the local population, focusing on those most vulnerable and or socially isolated. Some of these were organised and run by the practice and others were hosted by the practice in partnership with other health and social care providers. Groups included:

  • Women’s group: A group which brought isolated women together with the aim of improving wellbeing, developing friendships and peer support within the community.
  • Men’s group: A group set up to support isolated men and those who were struggling with addiction, who were identified as not thriving within the community. The group aimed to improve the men’s wellbeing and provide friendship and improve self-esteem though the gardening and maintenance project Sheds and beds. Evaluation of the groups showed positive outcomes for those attending

• The practice had a food and equipment exchange initiative in place and were able to provide food parcels and household items to support patients in need. The practice also supplied 25 food hampers and 15 toy hampers to patients experiencing difficulties over the Christmas period.
• The practice employed in-house counsellors so they were easily accessible to patients. Staff were also actively encouraged to use the counselling service if they felt it was required.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice