Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Millbrook Medical Practice on 15 June 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all 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, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed, including those relating to recruitment checks.

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.

• Data showed patient outcomes were in line with or above those locally and nationally.
• Feedback from patients about their care was consistently and strongly positive.

• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.

• The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a result of feedback from patients.

• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.

• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment 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.

We saw examples of outstanding practice including:

The practice had extended the role of the Health care assistant (HCA) to include a patient liaison role. They had protected time to actively contact and support patients over 75 years of age and carers, to ensure their needs were being met and referred to relevant health and social care providers including Age UK. We were provided with examples of support provided including adaptations to patients home to improve mobility.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice