Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Dicconson Group Practice on 30 August 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. Medicines were well managed and thorough recruitment procedures were in place to ensure suitably qualified staff were employed.

• 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.

• There was evidence of quality improvement including ongoing clinical audits to monitor the effectiveness of the treatments provided to patients.

• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. They commented they were involved in making decisions about their health care and GPs and nursing staff responded well to their health care needs and kept them informed about test results and information relating to their care such as follow up appointments and flu clinics.

• 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. There was evidence that staff learned from complaints to prevent them from reoccurring.

• 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 were disabled facilities, a hearing loop and translation services for patients whose first language was not English.

• There was a lead GP for adult and child safeguarding. Most staff had achieved appropriate safeguarding training.

• Staff worked with other agencies to promote patients’ health and well-being. The practice had been involved in three major projects relating to the promotion of good health in the community, fuel poverty and promoting the needs and care of homeless people.

• 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. Staff told us there was an open culture within the practice and they have the opportunity to raise any issues at team meetings and feel confident and supported in doing so.

• There was a focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels within the practice. All staff regularly took time out to work together to resolve problems and to review performance to improve the service provision.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice