Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Ridgeway View Family Practice on 17 February 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.
• 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.

However, there were areas of practice where the provider should make improvements:

• Ensure the cold chain policy is adhered to.

• Ensure documentation for cleaning checks is accurately maintained.

• Ensure infection control audit actions are completed in a timely way.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Ridgeway View Family Practice on 11 December 2018, as part of our inspection programme. The service was previously inspected on 17 February 2016, and rated as Good overall.

Our judgement of the quality of care at this service is based on a combination of what we found when we inspected, information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We have rated this practice as good overall.

This means that:

• Patients had good outcomes because they received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
• Patients were supported, treated with dignity and respect and were involved as partners in their care.
• People’s needs were met by the way in which services were organised and delivered.
• The leadership, governance and culture of the practice promoted the delivery of high quality person-centred care.

We found an area where the provider should make improvements. The provider should:

• Continue to identify carers to enable this group of patients to access the care and support they require.
• Continue efforts to increase the programme coverage of women eligible to be screened for cervical cancer.
• Continue to engage patients with high blood pressure and diabetes, so that there is lower exception reporting and healthier outcomes for these health indicators.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice