Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Tieve Tara Medical Centre on 13 December 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. Incidents were investigated and actions put in place to prevent recurrence.
• The practice maintained a good understanding of local need and used this to design and deliver services.
• 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.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Complaints were investigated and when appropriate, reviewed and discussed at team meetings. Where improvements were identified these were implemented.
• 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 provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

There were areas where the provider should make improvement:

• Patient engagement was limited due to the lack of an active patient participation group. The practice should continue to take steps to reform and establish the group.

• The practice should review and take action to improve areas of low patient satisfaction in relation to access and care.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Tieve Tara Medical Centre is located in Castleford. The practice has four GP partners. It is a teaching practice although there were no trainee doctors at the time of our inspection. The practice also has two practice nurses, a healthcare assistant, a practice manager and administrative staff. All the regulated activities the provider is registered to provide were inspected. These are diagnostic and screening procedures, family planning, maternity and midwifery services, surgical procedures and treatment of disease, disorder and injury.

There are 5236 patients registered at the practice. The practice is open from 8am until 6.30pm from Monday to Friday except on Wednesdays, when the practice is open until 7.45pm. One Wednesday a month the practice closes at 12 noon for staff training, but it reopens at 6.30pm for the extended hours’ surgery. 

During the inspection we spoke with 10 patients and looked at the Care Quality Commission (CQC) comments cards completed by 12 patients. The majority of patients told us that staff were helpful and respectful. Some of those we spoke with told us they had difficulty accessing appointments. We also spoke with two GPs, the practice manager, a practice nurse and five administrative staff.

The practice was accessible to patients with physical disabilities. All areas were visibly clean, hand washing facilities were available in each clinical room and all areas relating to the prevention and control of infection had been considered.

The practice provides a service for all population groups safely and effectively. Staff are caring and responsive to the needs of patients and they deliver care in line with best practice guidelines. The practice works with other health and social care organisations, with several other services being available within the practice to meet the needs of the population. It carries out an annual patient survey and changes are made following feedback from patients. The practice did have a patient participation group (PPG) but this is no longer active. They are currently encouraging patients to engage and be part of a new PPG.

All staff are aware of their role and there is an established management structure in place. The GPs have individual clinical responsibilities. Responsibility for areas such as finance and human resources has been delegated to the practice manager.