Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Wrythe Green Surgery on 13 September 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 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.
• 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.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

There were areas of practice where the provider should make improvements:

• Review practice procedures to ensure there is a system in place to monitor implementation of medicines and safety alerts.
• Review practice procedures to ensure all staff receive annual basic life support and Infection control training.
• Review practice procedures to ensure all the recommendations from the legionella risk assessment are actioned.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

During the inspection we spoke with the registered manager, they were a General Practitioner (GP) at the practice. We also spoke with the practice manager, another GP, two practice nurses and four people using the service, two of whom were members of the Patient Participation Group (PPG).

People using the service said that they were very happy with the practice. One person said “I have been coming here for 20 years. I find the GP’s and nurses very helpful. The GP’s give me time to talk and listen to what I have to say”. Another person said “I have been coming here for 30 years and I am very happy with the practice. The GP's are excellent, absolutely lovely. They let me speak and they always listen. I never get the feeling that I am being rushed”.

The members of the PPG told us they met with the practice team every three months. They felt the PPG was listened to and they were able to make positive contributions at the practice for the benefit of people using the service.

We saw that the practice had safeguarding policies that related to adults and children and there was a lead contact for safeguarding at the practice.

We saw the practice was clean and well maintained throughout. People using the service said the practice was always clean and tidy.

We saw that the practice had effective systems in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality of service that people received.