Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out a desk top review of The New Surgery on 22 July 2016. This was to check the practice had responded appropriately the findings of their announced comprehensive inspection conducted on 20 January 2016. At this inspection the practice was rated as good overall, good for safe, effective, caring and well led domains. The responsive domain was rated as requires improvement.

During our last inspection we required the provider to ensure that all complaints received were fully investigated. Patients were also required to be provided with information as to how they could escalate their concerns should they remain dissatisfied with the outcome or how their complaint was handled. We issued the practice with a requirement notice for improvement in relation to their complaints system.

Additionally, they were asked to review the arrangements for obtaining patient consent. It was required to reflect staff responsibilities for determining who holds parental responsibilities when children are treated. We did not issue a requirement notice for this area of improvement but advised the practice that they should make improvements in relation to providing effective services.

After the inspection report was published the provider sent us an action plan that detailed how they would make the necessary improvements. We were the provided documentary evidence of the improvements they had made and we were able to carry out a desk top inspection without the need to visit the practice.

During this desk top inspection, we reviewed two complaints that had been reported since February 2016. We found both complaints had been acknowledged, investigated and responded to appropriately with all aspects addressed. The complainants had also been informed of how to escalate concerns if they were dissatisfied with the outcome of the practices findings.

We found the practice had revised their consent policy. It has been shared with staff who had confirmed they had read and understood it. Where children were brought to the surgery by a person without parental responsibility, a signed consent form was taken from somebody with parental responsibility before care and treatment was provided. Parents were also required to present the Child Immunisation History (Red Book) and letter of invite for their children’s immunisations in order to evidence that they had parental responsibility for the child concerned.

Overall, we found that the practice had made the necessary improvements required of them.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out a desk top review of The New Surgery on 22 July 2016. This was to check the practice had responded appropriately the findings of their announced comprehensive inspection conducted on 20 January 2016. At this inspection the practice was rated as good overall, good for safe, effective, caring and well led domains. The responsive domain was rated as requires improvement.

During our last inspection we required the provider to ensure that all complaints received were fully investigated. Patients were also required to be provided with information as to how they could escalate their concerns should they remain dissatisfied with the outcome or how their complaint was handled. We issued the practice with a requirement notice for improvement in relation to their complaints system.

Additionally, they were asked to review the arrangements for obtaining patient consent. It was required to reflect staff responsibilities for determining who holds parental responsibilities when children are treated. We did not issue a requirement notice for this area of improvement but advised the practice that they should make improvements in relation to providing effective services.

After the inspection report was published the provider sent us an action plan that detailed how they would make the necessary improvements. We were the provided documentary evidence of the improvements they had made and we were able to carry out a desk top inspection without the need to visit the practice.

During this desk top inspection, we reviewed two complaints that had been reported since February 2016. We found both complaints had been acknowledged, investigated and responded to appropriately with all aspects addressed. The complainants had also been informed of how to escalate concerns if they were dissatisfied with the outcome of the practices findings.

We found the practice had revised their consent policy. It has been shared with staff who had confirmed they had read and understood it. Where children were brought to the surgery by a person without parental responsibility, a signed consent form was taken from somebody with parental responsibility before care and treatment was provided. Parents were also required to present the Child Immunisation History (Red Book) and letter of invite for their children’s immunisations in order to evidence that they had parental responsibility for the child concerned.

Overall, we found that the practice had made the necessary improvements required of them.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

The New Surgery consisted of the main surgery and a smaller branch surgery, The Brambles, which had been acquired recently. We found both surgeries to be welcoming with friendly staff.

Practice information was displayed for people who used the service, including health promotion, access to support and other available services. Appointments could be made at either surgery, in person, by telephone or online using the surgery's website.

We spoke with seven people who all spoke highly of the services provided to them.

People's needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual wishes. One person said, "It’s fine here. It’s really good that the doctor will telephone you if you need to speak with them." Another person said, "They know me here, even though I don’t bother them much. I got an appointment really quickly today as I didn’t feel well."

We saw that there was a system to ensure repeat prescriptions were available promptly and medicines that were kept at the surgery were stored safely.

Staff were supported through appraisal and the clinical and senior staff held regular meetings, however, these did not extend to most of the non-clinical staff. We spoke with five staff who said they enjoyed working in the practice.

The practice had a complaints policy in place. Any dissatisfaction from people who had used the service was treated promptly and appropriately. There were systems in place to ensure that staff members learnt from any complaints in an effort to prevent future occurrences.