Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Family Practice on 11 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.
• 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 percentage of respondents to the GP patient survey who described the overall experience of their GP surgery as fairly good or very good was 95% compared to the clinical commissioning group of 86% and national average of 85%. Also 92% of patients said they would recommend this GP practice to someone who has just moved to the local area compared to the CCG average of 81% and the national average of 80%.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• The practice should review current good practice guidelines to ensure that clinical staff are trained to the appropriate level for their role for safeguarding children

• The practice should provide formal training for staff who carry out the chaperone role.

• The practice should review elements of the environment relating to risks to infection control management such as the wooden panelling and facilities, including floor surfaces in some consulting rooms.

• The practice should review how fire safety is managed so that fire risk assessments, fire drills, emergency lighting and safety checks are carried out in accordance to best practice and sustained.

• The practice should implement an effective system to identify carers in order to provide the most appropriate care for them.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice