Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Abbey Medical Group on 2 February 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. Opportunities for learning were identified and mechanisms were in place to share learning effectively.
• 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.
• Feedback from patients about their care was generally positive. Patients told us staff were polite and helpful and treated them with dignity and respect.
• Patients told us they generally found it easy to make an appointment with a GP, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice worked closely with other organisations and with the local community in planning how services were provided to ensure that they meet patients’ needs. For example the practice hosted the Citizen’s Advice Bureau one day per week.
• The practice worked closely with their patient participation group to engage with their patients and the local community. For example, the PPG had facilitated a number of community health education events open to patients of the practice and members of the community.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• Information about how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• The practice had a clear vision which had quality and safety as its top priority. The strategy was regularly reviewed and areas for improvement were identified on an ongoing basis.
• 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 several areas of outstanding practice including:

• The practice had been selected to participate in a community pharmacy pilot project from October 2015. This placed an independent prescribing pharmacist within the practice for three days each week. From 1 October to 31 December the pharmacist had recorded 420 patient contacts. Contacts included medication reviews, nursing home reviews and queries from staff and patients. Feedback from the practice, patients and the project team was positive about the project. The practice benefitted from having medicines expertise on site and there was increased access to GP time for patients.

• There was an effective relationship between the practice and the patient participation group (PPG) which benefitted patients. The PPG facilitated a wide range of events to engage with patients and promote healthier living. For example, the PPG had organised an event in November 2015 which was attended by over 100 people and supported by 24 local organisations. In addition the PPG had built strong links with NHS organisations across the area and arranged events related to carers, men’s health and pain management. These events were open to patients and members of the community.

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

• Ensure blank prescriptions are handled securely in line with guidance.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice