Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Kirton Medical Centre on 8 September 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• The practice had devised their own internal safeguarding referral form which staff within the practice could complete to raise a safeguarding concern to the safeguarding lead. This form had been shared for wider use within other local practices within East Lincolnshire CCG.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• The practice was the highest achieving practice within its CCG for effectively reducing unnecessary patient attendances to the local accident & emergency (A&E) department at Pilgrim Hospital in Boston. For example, data for 2014-15 showed a 21% decrease in A&E attendances which was the largest decrease in attendance rates compared to eight other practices within the CCG.
• 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and 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 proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
• There were a range of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the staff responsible for dispensing medicines. (SOPs are documents that explain a procedure for staff to follow. These help to ensure all staff members work in a consistent and safe way). All SOPs had been reviewed on a regular basis.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Review process and methods for identification of carers and the system for recording this. To enable support and advice to be offered to those that require it. 

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice