Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Meadowgreen Health Centre on 9 November 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.
• 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.
• Staff received induction programmes relevant to their role. Clinical staff had their hepatitis B immunity checked. Other newly recruited staff did not receive a health assessment or review of their immunisation status.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• We observed that conversations taking place at reception could be overheard by others in the waiting areas at both sites. Following the inspection the practice informed us they were looking at costings with a view to installing glass partitions at reception areas at both sites.
• 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 GP or nurse. Telephone triage appointments were offered each day between 8.15am and 6.30pm. Same day appointments were available when clinically indicated.
• The practice had two sites. There were limitations in relation to space at both sites. The practice made good use of the facilities available to them. We saw a premises action plan had been developed to address shortfalls in relation to the decorative standard of both premises.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
• The practice had a strong ethos of teaching and training throughout all staff groups. One of the GPs was an associate lecturer at the University of Sheffield.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Provide all newly recruited staff with access to a pre-employment health assessment to include a review of their immunisation needs, in line with Public Health England (PHE) guidelines

• Continue to monitor confidentiality for patients speaking with reception staff at both sites and take steps to mitigate conversations being overhead whenever possible.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice