This service is rated as Good overall.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of the out of hours service run by Tower Hamlets GP Care Group, which is registered with CQC under the name ‘Royal London Hospital’. This service is also known as ‘Tower Hamlets GP Out of Hours Service'.

At this inspection we found:

• The service routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided.
• The service had good systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When they did happen, the service learned from them and improved their processes.
• Staff involved and treated people with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients were able to access care and treatment from the service within an appropriate timescale for their needs.
• There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
• The service had an overarching governance framework in place, including policies and protocols which had been developed at a provider level and had been adapted to meet the needs of the service locally.

There are areas where the provider should make improvements:

• Develop effective systems and processes to ensure that the service meets national targets. Take steps to ensure clinicians produce comprehensive clinical consultation notes to aid effective review and quality improvement.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice