Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 5 October 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 how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• 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.

However, there were areas of practice where the provider should make improvements:

• Continue with efforts to recruit more nurses to reduce additional pressure on other members of the clinical team and improve patients’ access to services.
• Continue to monitor access arrangements for, and the care provided to, patients with learning disabilities to improve outcomes for the patient group.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice