Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Welton Family Health Centre on 12 September 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. The practice held a risk register.

• 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.

• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.

• The patient doctor association (PDA) provided a health transport service for patients of the practice which had been running for approximately 20 years. This service consisted of 31 voluntary drivers, not all drivers were patients of the practice however, this service was provided only for patients of the practice.

• 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.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.

• Childhood immunisation rates for the vaccinations given were higher than CCG/national averages.

• Welton Family Health Centre was a training practice and delivered training to GP Registrars. (A GP Registrar is a fully qualified Doctor who is training to become a GP).

• 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.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Address the issues highlighted in the national GP survey in order to improve patient satisfaction in relation to appointment access.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Welton Family Health Centre serves around 9,400 patients in Welton in Lincolnshire covering an area of approximately 135 square miles. It is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide the regulated activities of : Diagnostic and screening procedures, family planning, maternity and midwifery services, surgical procedures, and treatment of disease, disorder and injury.

Welton Family Health Centre services are provided by six doctors, a nurse practitioner, nurses, practice managers, administration and reception staff, and dispensary staff. The practice has an on-site dispensing service and is a training practice for GP Registrars who are fully qualified doctors and hope to pursue a career in general practice.

During our inspection we spoke with eight patients and three members of the Patient and Doctors Association (PDA), clinical and non-clinical staff and managers. We received 20 completed comments cards with many positive comments about the service.

We saw that the practice was responsive to the needs of people with long term conditions. People with long term conditions such as diabetes or coronary heart disease received regular reviews of their health conditions at the practice. The practice encouraged people experiencing poor mental health to attend regular health reviews and liaised closely with the mental health recovery teams.