Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Unsworth Medical Centre on 5 April 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 were trained so they 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they sometimes found it difficult get through to the surgery by phone to make an appointment with a named GP.
• Patients said that urgent appointments were 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.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

During our last inspection in September 2013 we looked at how the provider was meeting the regulations relating to cleanliness and infection control and workers. We found that action was required to ensure people were protected from the risk of infection and that improvements to the staff recruitment process. Following that inspection the provider submitted an action plan detailing what steps they had taken to address the issues raised. We conducted this follow up inspection to establish that the regulations relating to cleanliness and infection control and workers were being met and to ensure that the action taken by the provider had been sustained.

We found that this was the case and appropriate action had been taken and sustained.

We saw that patients were treated respectfully and were given privacy during their visit to Unsworth Medical Centre. Patients usually had the choice of being able to see a male or female GP. A translation service was available for patients who did not speak English as their first language.

We saw the triage appointment system that was in place. A GP spoke with all patients who requested an urgent appointment. If necessary they were then booked in for an appointment with a GP. Recent feedback on the NHS Choices website was positive about the triage system.

New patients were given an appointment with the practice nurse for an initial health check. We saw that several clinics for specific conditions were held at the practice. Emergency drugs and resuscitation equipment were available for use in the case of a patient emergency.

All areas of the practice were visibly clean. However, there were tears in the vinyl covering of two examination couches which meant effective cleaning of them could not take place.

The practice obtained a full work history for all prospective staff members and we saw that interviews took place prior to a recruitment decision being made. However, references were not always provided for staff. The identity of locum doctors was checked but the practice manager told us the identity for other staff members was not requested.

The practice had a patient reference group to help collect the views of patients.