Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Kirkburton Health Centre on 24 November 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. There were good governance arrangements and appropriate policies in place.
• The practice was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour. (The duty of candour is a set of specific legal requirements that providers of services must follow when things go wrong with care and treatment.)
• There was a culture of openness and honesty, which was reflected in the approach to safety. All staff were encouraged and supported to record any incidents using the electronic reporting system. There was evidence of good investigation, learning and sharing mechanisms in place.
• There was a clear leadership structure, staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities and told us the GPs and manager were accessible and supportive.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in care and decisions about their treatment.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment, there was continuity of care and urgent appointments were available on the same day as requested.
• Longer appointments were given to those patients who needed them.
• Information regarding the services provided by the practice was available for patients.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat and meet the needs of patients.
• There was a complaints policy and clear information available for patients who wished to make a complaint.
• The practice sought patient views how improvements could be made to the service, through the use of patient surveys, the NHS Friends and Family Test and the patient participation group.

We saw an area of outstanding practice:

• The practice facilitated a young peoples’ health clinic once a week at Kirkburton Health Centre. The clinic was accessible for any young people, including under 16’s, who lived locally and who were not necessarily registered with the practice. Advice and support were provided regarding sexual health, domestic violence issues, substance misuse and bullying.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We reviewed the information available to us about Kirkburton Health Centre on 5 June 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.