Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Montpelier Health Centre on 2 December 2014.

We rated the practice as good for providing well-led, effective, safe, caring and responsive services. It was also good for providing services for older people, people with long-term conditions, mothers, babies, children and young people, working-age population and those recently retired, people in vulnerable circumstances who may have poor access to primary care and people experiencing poor mental health.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and knew how to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety measures were recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• 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.
• Patients told us they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about the services provided and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• The practice had good facilities and was 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 upon.
• The practice was a GP training practice. There was a practice focus on the development of individuals and involvement in research projects.

In addition the provider should:

• the practice should ensure that all relevant documentation for the recruitment of new staff is retained to show a robust and safe process was carried out.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice