Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive 21 September 2016. 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.
• The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems, processes and practices in place to keep patients safe and safeguarded from abuse.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. Although we saw areas which required improvement including, infection prevention and control training, temperature monitoring arrangements for vaccine fridges and access to keys to the storage area for blank prescriptions.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and 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.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Provide infection prevention and control training for all clinical staff.

• Review arrangements in place for monitoring temperatures of fridges, provide two thermometers for vaccine fridges or calibrate the thermometer monthly.
• Review the arrangements to maintain security of blank prescriptions.
• Review the arrangements and processes for the allocation of administrative tasks. 

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Patients expressed their views and were involved in making decisions about their care and treatment. We saw that patients were given information and support with regards to treatment options and that staff maintained patient’s privacy and confidentiality.

We spoke with seven patients including two representatives of the ‘Patient Participation Group’ (PPG) they told us they were treated with respect and the care they received was “Very good.” Patients told us they were very happy with their experience of the practice and said the practice nurses were very helpful and explained everything to them. One patient said, “I have been coming to this practice for many years, I have moved house but still want to keep my own doctor.”

We found the environment to be clean, tidy and organised. We saw there were appropriate systems in place to reduce the risk and spread of infection. Patients said, “The practice is clean and modern, the facilities are excellent.” Another patient said, “Hygiene seems to be a priority to them.”

Staff had received appropriate professional development and training to ensure they could meet the needs of the patients who used the service.

Staff were familiar with the procedures to report any issues or abuse of patients.

The practice had systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service that patients received.