This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous rating July 2016 – Good)

The key questions at this inspection are rated as:

Are services safe? – Requires Improvement

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? - Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at St Bede Medical Centre on 30 July 2018. This was as part of our ongoing inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

• The practice had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
• The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care they provided. They ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence-based guidelines.
• Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care when they needed it.
• There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
• At our previous inspection in July 2016, we told the provider that they should make improvements in some areas. We saw at this inspection improvements had been made. The practice had reviewed and improved their prescription security arrangements, updated the standard letter issued in response to complaints and ensured that staff had annual appraisals.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

• Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Develop and implement a policy to support staff to raise incidents and near misses through the significant event process.
• Review their fire risk assessment to ensure risks are identified and well managed.
• Put in place arrangements to check the professional registration of GPs on a regular basis to ensure they are still registered to practice.
• Develop a risk register and business plan that outlines how and when the practice can deliver on its strategy and vision.

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

Please refer to the detailed report and the evidence tables for further information.

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at the St Bede Medical Centre on 5 July 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 for reporting and recording significant events. The staff team took the opportunity to learn from all internal and external incidents.

• Risks to patients and staff were assessed and well managed.

• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. They had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.

• The practice worked closely with other organisations, when planning how services were provided, to ensure patients’ needs were met.

• Patients’ emotional and social needs were seen as being as important as their physical needs, and there was a strong, visible, person-centred culture. Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and that they were involved in decisions about their treatment.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.

• Services were tailored to meet the needs of individual patients and were delivered in a way that ensured flexibility, choice and continuity of care. All staff were actively engaged in monitoring and improving quality and patient outcomes. Staff were committed to supporting patients to live healthier lives through a targeted and proactive approach to health promotion.

• The leadership, governance and management of the practice helped ensure the delivery of good quality person-centred care, supported learning, and promoted an open culture.

However, there were also areas where the provider needs to make improvements. The provider should:

• Review prescription security arrangements.

• Review the standard letter issued in response to complaints received to include details of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

• Make arrangements for all staff to have annual appraisals.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice