Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Luson Surgery on 3 December 2015. 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.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based 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 they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that 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.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

We saw areas of outstanding practice:

• The practice made reasonable adjustments to remove barriers when patients found it hard to use or access services for example, through the provision of appointments to see a GP outside the GPs normal working hours.
• The practice provided regular twice weekly clinics by a male and female GP for students at a local boarding school to ensure their health needs were being met. In addition they provided rugby concussion assessments for students if required.
• The practice worked effectively with patients diagnosed with learning disabilities to ensure they received appropriate treatment. Where patients lacked capacity to make decisions for themselves they involved the local authority Independent Mental Capacity Assessor to ensure safe decisions about appropriate treatment were made on behalf of the patient.

The area where the provider should make improvement are:

• In support of the whole staff group; consider ways of enabling all staff to gather collectively to review the performance of the practice.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We spoke with eight patients who were pleased with the service they received and all said they had been involved in the decisions made about their care. One patient said “They explain what is happening” and another said “All the decisions I make are mine using his advice.”

Patients said they could get an appointment when they needed and said staff treated them with respect and dignity. One patient said “It is a small practice which makes it more personal.”

Patients appreciated the continuity of care. One patient said “I see the same doctor which is great because they know me and my family.”

All staff knew the correct local safeguarding procedures to follow if abuse was suspected and all had attended training.

Patients told us that they always felt safe in the care of the staff. There were appropriate arrangements in place which ensured that staff kept their knowledge and skills up to date. Staff spoke about the supportive environment and confirmed that they had access to adequate training.

The practice was organised and well led. There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality of the service provided and patients felt able to give feedback about the service they received.