Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Green Practice on 19 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.
• 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 did not always find it easy to make an appointment or get through to the practice by phone. National GP survey results were below average for access. However, the practice were taking positive steps to address this.
• 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:

• Review policies and processes to improve uptake for cervical screening.
• Continue to identify more patients with caring responsibilities.
• Develop a formal strategy to deliver the practice vision.
• Implement a program to encourage continuous clinical audit to improve outcomes for patients.
• Advertise translation and bereavement services in the patient waiting room.
• Review and update where necessary the business continuity plan.
• Continue to address patient experience and access to improve poor performance identified in the national GP survey relating to appointments and access to nurses and GPs.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice