Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection July 2015 – Good)

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

As part of our inspection process, we also look at the quality of care for specific population groups. The population groups are rated as:

Older People – Good

People with long-term conditions – Good

Families, children and young people – Good

Working age people (including those recently retired and students) – Good

People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable – Good

People experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia) - Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Wellfield Medical Centre on 20 March 2018.

At this inspection we found:

• The practice had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
• The practice had a comprehensive understanding of the performance of the practice and how it was maintained.
• The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence-based guidelines.
• The practice had visible clinical and managerial leadership and governance arrangements in place.
• Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care when they needed it.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

The practice provided an in house weekly sexually transmitted diseases clinic (STD). Patients were given the choice of a male or female GP and were provided with a double appointment. We saw evidence of 109 patients treated between, 2016-2017. We also saw evidence of these clinics being fully audited on a regular basis.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Improve the infection control policy so it contains up to date information.
• Improve clarity around the management of risk. Staff who act as chaperones should be trained and have individual risk assessments in place.
• Improve role specific job description information within staff folders.
• Continue to review the Patient Participation Group (PPG) and new ways of engagement.
• Add the full address of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman(PHSO) in the complaints policy.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out a comprehensive inspection of Wellfield Medical Centre on 23 June 2015. We found that the practice was rated as good overall.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing well-led, effective, caring, responsive and safe services. It was also good for providing services for the populations groups we rate.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed, including those relating to recruitment checks.

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.

• 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.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice