Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Prince Avenue Surgery on 28/07/2015. 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 and addressed.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.

• Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and training needs had been identified and planned.

• 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 was well equipped and had facilities suitable 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.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider should ensure:

• Complaints are managed within the timescales stated in the practice policy.

• Review safety issues regarding risks to patients to check that these have been addressed.

• Information regarding translation services should be available to patients.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice