Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Leiston Surgery on 29 October 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

We found the practice to be safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs and well-led. The quality of care experienced by older people, by people with long term conditions and by families, children and young people is good. Working age people, those in vulnerable circumstances and people experiencing poor mental health also receive good quality care.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows;

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed, and addressed.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
• 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.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that 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.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

• The practice’s branch surgery provided a specialist assessment, diagnosis and early intervention centre for patients with suspected and/or a mild to moderate dementia in a local and friendlier, less clinical environment.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider should;

• Ensure that staff that undertake chaperone duties have received a disclosure and barring check (DBS) or have a written risk assessment completed.
• Ensure there are protocols in place for the handling, analysis, audit and review of dispensing errors. Which includes formalising recording and discussion at the quarterly dispensing team meetings. In addition ensure near-miss dispensing errors were recorded so that trends of these errors could be monitored and actions taken where necessary.
• Improve the arrangements to track blank prescription forms through the practice in accordance with national guidance.

• Improve the security of medicines being transported from the dispensary to the practice’s branch surgery.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

During our inspection on 3 October 2013, we found the service to be welcoming with friendly staff. We saw that on arrival at the service people could speak to reception staff or use the touch in booking screen. People told us staff treated them respectfully and were helpful.

We looked at a number of people’s electronic records. We saw evidence that verbal consent had been obtained before examinations or procedures had occurred. People told us that their treatment was clearly explained to them and they were able to ask questions and make choices about their treatment or medication. This enabled people to make informed decisions regarding their care.

We saw that staff spoke politely to people and consultations were carried out in private treatment rooms. Information was clearly displayed for people, including health promotion, access to support services and information about the practice and the services provided.

We found evidence that staff had received regular training, supervisions and appraisals. There were protocols and procedures in place to ensure people’s personal data was secure and confidential.