We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Alverton Practice on 6 January 2016. Overall the practice is rated as outstanding

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.

We saw areas of outstanding practice, including;

• Multi-disciplinary team (MDT) meetings took place monthly and involved a range of other professionals we noted the uniqueness of this approach to MDT meetings and heard how their approach had been singled out locally and nationally as a model of best practice.

• The practice organised children’s “flu parties” as part of their childhood vaccination programme and had achieved the highest uptake for childhood flu vaccinations in the Clinical Commissioning Group area.

• In response to feedback about improving access to appointments the practice provided a branch surgery in a local supermarket. This was highlighted by NHS England as pioneering.

• The branch practice in Newlyn catered for a significant proportion of the local fishing community and offered tide and weather dependent flexibility with appointments for these patients. Two of the GPs worked with the Life Boat crew.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

During our inspection we found the practice was organised and well managed with systems in place to effectively monitor the quality of the service provided to patients registered with them.

We spoke with eight patients regarding their views of the service they received and they all made positive comments about the practice. We were told the staff were "helpful, friendly, polite and welcoming”, “know our individual needs well and as parents find they treat our children very well” and “I have no concerns, find the practice to be proactive and very well run by all staff”. One patient told us the practice had asked them to complete a quality survey / questionnaire and they were aware the results of this survey had been available in the waiting room. All of the patients we spoke with said they had never had to make a complaint but knew how to if necessary and felt they would be listened to and appropriate action taken to resolve the issue.

Staff were positive about working at the practice and felt supported by the management structure of the practice. Training had been provided to staff and the training programme was in the process of being developed. Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities, including when discussing the safeguards in place to protect vulnerable adults and children against abuse.