We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Gary O'Hare and Dr Sharon Chapelhow on the 10 December 2015. The overall rating for the practice was good, although the responsive domain was rated as required improvement. The full comprehensive report on the inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Dr Gary O'Hare and Dr Sharon Chapelhow on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was a desk-based review carried out on 30 March 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to improve areas identified in our previous inspection on 10 December 2015. This report covers our findings in relation to those improvements made since our last inspection.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice had addressed the issues identified during the previous inspection.

• The Practice had carried out a full survey of the building carried out by building inspectors in lieu of planned improvement works. At the building inspection, no issues relating to drainage were identified.

• The practice have recruited two full time Advanced Nurse Practitioners, a further Healthcare Assistant and aClinical Pharmacist who is supporting the clinical team.

• They have responded to patient feedback regarding time to answer the telephones by purchasing a telephone line and also increased reception training, capacity and supervision. They have increased the number of telephone consultations available.

• The practice discuss all general issues at weekly meetings. They review general comments, compliments, significant events, incidents and near misses at these meetings amongst the whole team. They continuously capture patient feedback regarding servicesincluding comments left on NHS Choices.

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

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

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. Opportunities for learning from internal and external incidents were acted on.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. However, the practice was not operating with its full complement of clinical staff which impacted on patient access to appointments and responsiveness of the practice. Recruitment of a pharmacist for the practice had been agreed but this process had not started. The practice was trying to fill a vacancy for a nurse. Staff interviewed said patient access was the main challenge for the practice.

• The practice used innovative and proactive methods to improve patient outcomes, for example, through its use of CCG sponsored services and health promotion.

• There was a system in place to undertake audits with a focus on improving patient care. The practice identified areas for improvement and monitored this over time to ensure required improvements were achieved and sustained, for example in the area of antibiotic prescribing.

• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect. Information was provided to help patients understand the care available to them.

• The practice worked closely with other organisations and with the local community in planning how services were provided to ensure that they met people’s needs.

• The practice invited suggestions for improvements and made some changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback from patients and from the Patient Participation Group (PPG).

• The practice was well equipped to treat patients. Information about how to complain was available and easy to understand.

• The practice had a clear vision which had quality and safety as its top priority. There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.

There were also areas where the provider could make improvements. The provider should:

• Make checks on the drainage system from the practice premises to ensure that no remedial works are required.

• Ensure sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff are deployed to meet the needs of patients.

We saw some areas of outstanding practice relating to families, children and young people.

The practice utilised community based services in innovative ways to help patients take ownership of their health and wellbeing. For example, work with a Health Engagement Officer, who acted as a link between local authority social services departments and the practice, had helped and supported numerous patients.

• Patients experiencing depression and isolation were helped to address triggers or causes of these problems, increasing their levels of confidence, in for example, parenting skills.

• We saw examples of this work which had a more far reaching impact, for example, in addressing low level anti-social behaviour of younger patients, in picking up previously undetected safeguarding issues such as teenage self-harm and increasing attendance of older children at school.

• Engagement with the local area Wellbeing officer had been used to provide a community run garden at the practice. More recently, this garden was used to allow younger children to plant and grow vegetables, providing a source of education that linked to health. 

Professor Steve Field

CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We reviewed the information available to us about Murdishaw Health Centre on 7 June 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.