Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Stroud Practice on 2 November 2016. 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 report incidents and near misses. The practice had recently started using the National Reporting and Learning System (NRLS).
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.
• The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems, processes and practices in place to keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse.
• 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.
• The practice worked closely with other organisations in planning how services were provided to ensure that they meet patients’ needs.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and we observed the premises to be visibly clean and tidy.
• Patients could access appointments and services in a way and at a time that suited them and 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.
• Patients surveyed reported high satisfaction with the helpfulness of receptionists and access to the practice by telephone.
• Notices in the patient waiting room told patients how to access a number of support groups and organisations and the practice leaflet encouraged patients to identify themselves to staff.
• The practice actively reviewed complaints and how they were managed and responded to, and made improvements as a result. The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt they were supported by the practice manager. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

There were also areas of practice where the provider should make improvements:

• Continue to proactively identify registered carers

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We reviewed the information available to us about Stroud Practice on 23 May 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.