This practice is rated as Good overall (Previous rating October 2015 Good)

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

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 Swan Lane Medical Centre on 24 October 2018 as part of our 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 it provided. It 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.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

• Proactive care and treatment is provided for patient’s resident in care homes. GPs provided weekly rounds to each unit within a large complex in addition to regular reactive care provided by the practice. We were provided with numerous examples of the impact of this work on patient’s wellbeing because of the proactive involvement of clinicians and the patient plan manager at the practice. Data provided by the practice also showed a reduction in the number of patients having to go to A&E or call outs from paramedics to the nursing home.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• There should be a formal system in place to monitor uncollected prescriptions.
• All significant events should be formally documented centrally and clinical meetings minuted.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Swan Lane Medical Centre on 2 October 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 reviewed and addressed. It was also shared internally and with the clinical commissioning group (CCG).
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further 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 sometimes found it difficult to access appointments but they were usually available in an emergency.
• 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.

We saw areas of outstanding practice:

• All staff had received safeguarding training and most staff had received additional training at a level above what was required. Additional training included domestic violence awareness. All were aware of their responsibilities and all knew how to make a referral if required.
• Relevant information was formally shared with the CCG and other providers. This included all significant events that were discussed at CCG level to ensure shared learning. Patients requiring palliative care had reviews at least once a month and any changes to their condition was communicated to relevant providers.
• An interpreter, provided by the CCG, attended nurse clinics twice a week and patients that did not speak English as a first language were booked into these sessions. Patients got to know the interpreter, who also translated at other services they attended.
• The practice was open on Saturday mornings to make it easier for patients who worked to access appointments.

However there was an of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

The provider should:

• Put a system in place so the fridge temperature is checked each day the practice is open.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice