Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at the University Medical Centre - Keele on 28 January 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services. It was also good for providing services for older people, people with long term conditions, families, children and young people, working age people (including those recently retired and students), people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable and people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).

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

• Patients were kept safe because there were arrangements in place for staff to report and learn from key safety risks.
• There were robust recruitment systems in place to ensure the safety of patients.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered in line with current legislation.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Patients said that overall they found it easy to make an appointment and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• There was a transparent and inclusive culture at the practice which encouraged contributions from staff and patients in the development of the service.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice