Archived: Swingbridge Surgery

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Swingbridge Surgery on 20 April 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• There was an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events. Significant events, incidents and safety alerts were discussed at practice meetings and lessons learnt were shared.

• The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems, processes and practices in place to keep patients safe and safeguarded from abuse. On review of the patient record system, we found three patients who were identified as a child in need however exceeded the age of 18.

• Staff assessed needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance.

• New guidelines were discussed at practice meetings and protocols and pathways were reviewed as appropriate. However, it was noted that minutes did not include who was responsible for completing actions and by when.

• Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment and there was evidence of appraisals and personal development plans for all staff.

• The practice had a training plan in place for all staff to ensure mandatory training was completed.

• Staff worked with other health care professionals to understand and meet the range and complexity of patients’ needs.

• Patients said they were treated with care and respect and they had time within their appointments to consider options and decisions about their care and treatment.

• We saw staff treated patients with kindness and maintained patient and information confidentiality.

• The practice had changed their appointment system in response to patient feedback regarding access to routine appointments.

• Patients said they sometimes found it difficult to make an appointment with a named GP, but were aware urgent appointments were available on the same day.

• The practice had a clear vision to deliver good quality care and promote good outcomes for patients. Staff were clear about the vision and their responsibilities in relation to it.

• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.

• There was an overarching governance framework which supported the delivery of the strategy and good quality care. This included arrangements to monitor and improve quality and identify risk.

• The partners encouraged a culture of openness and honesty.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Safeguarding registers should be reviewed to ensure they are accurate and do not include persons that should no longer be on them.

• Meetings should identify who is responsible for actions and the timescale for completion.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice