Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Hollymoor Medical Centre on 30 November 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all of 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. Significant events were investigated and acted on when necessary.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. There were safe systems for prescribing medicines. Clinical staff processes ensured that patients received safe and appropriate care and this was clearly documented.

• Staffing levels were monitored to ensure they matched patients’ needs. Safe arrangements were in place for staff recruitment that protected patients from risks of harm. Senior staff were seeking to recruit a second salaried GP.

• Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training had been identified and planned to enhance their skills and patient care.

• Patients told us they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in decisions about their treatment. They said they were satisfied with standards of care they received.

• Most patients said they found it easy to make an appointment and there was continuity of care, with all urgent appointment requests accommodated the same day. Some patients told us they sometimes had difficulty in getting through to the practice by telephone and in making appointments.

• Information about how to make a complaint was readily available and easy to understand. Complaints were dealt with in a timely way and appropriately.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to assess and treat patients.

• There was a clear leadership structure and staff told us they felt well supported by senior staff. Management proactively sought feedback from patients which it acted on. The governance system monitored the quality of practice wide performance. The practice had a written five year forward plan dated September 2016 that took into account the probable future increase of registered patients.

We saw some areas of outstanding practice including:

• Patients who received end of life care were given a bypass telephone number to enable them to get through to the practice immediately.

• The advanced nurse practitioner had a special interest and qualifications in dementia care. The practice had introduced a monthly clinic for patients who had dementia. The service had been well received and had led to many requests for information.

However, there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

The provider should:

• Ensure there are effective systems for managing the recall of patients for reviews and other interventions.

• Implement effective systems for the monitoring the actions taken form safety alerts.

• Respond and reply to feedback provided by patients.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice