Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Castle Practice on 3 May 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 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 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.
• Feedback from the lead health trainer was positive about how collective input had had a dramatic impact on patients’ lives.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• 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.
• 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.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• The practice should ensure that all letters responding to complaints contain details of how to escalate the issue to the ombudsman.

• The practice should ensure that the thermometers and temperature recording in the vaccine fridges comply with current guidance.

• The practice should review infection control processes to ensure a clear audit trail is maintained of cleaning carried out.

• The practice should review how they deliver services to patients with mental health problems and review their exception rates for this patient group.

• The practice should review exception rates for patients with a mental health diagnosis to increase the number of patients receiving treatment.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice