Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Parkway Medical Group on 27 October 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 some area of outstanding practice:

• On the National GP Patient Survey, the practice consistently scored higher than the national and local averages across a number of areas, such as ease of access to the service, patient care and overall experience. For example, 96.6% of patients described their overall experience as good (compared to 86.3% locally and 84.8% nationally) and 96% of respondents would recommend this surgery to someone new to the area. This compared to the clinical commissioning group (CCG) average of 79% and the national average of 78%.

• The practice supported staff to take a reflective approach to staff training, to ensure the value of training was realised and it had an impact on the way staff delivered the service. Throughout the year the staff completed a reflective learning log where they documented the training they had completed, what their key learning points were and how this might change the way they do their job. Managers discussed this with staff at appraisal sessions.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice