Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Forest Surgery on 7 July 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.
• 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.
• Data from the national GP patient survey showed patient outcomes were lower than local and national averages in relation to appointment access and getting through to the practice on the telephone.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• 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 improvement are:

• Ensure the healthcare assistant administers vaccines and medicines against a patient specific prescription or direction from a prescriber.
• Review how carers are identified and recorded on the clinical system to ensure information, advice and support is made available to them.
• Continue to review the telephone and appointments system to ensure patients can access the surgery and get appointments in a timely manner.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Some people had been attending the practice for 20 years or more and said that the doctors were very good. One person said "Dr X is brilliant, they came to see my mum in the evenings to see how she was, I really appreciated that."

People were asked for consent at the surgery from the time they joined the practice an further when they needed any form of examination. Written consent was taken for internal examinations.

People were assessed when they visited the GP or the practice nurse to determine they received the right care and treatment. People told us they got to see the GP they wanted but most people said they would see anybody in the practice. One person said "The doctors here are excellent, I would see any one of them."

Staff knew about safeguarding procedures for adults and children and the signs to look for. People told us they felt safe at the practice.

Training was available to staff and we saw that the practice manager arranged this accordingly. Staff were supported and received yearly appraisals. People we spoke to had confidence in all of the staff's competence.

There was a clear complaints procedure and information available in the reception area for people.