17 January 2017
During a routine inspection
Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Tollgate Lodge on 17 January 2017. Overall the practice is rated as good.
Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:
- Staff were open and transparent and fully committed to reporting incidents and near misses. The level and quality of incident reporting ensured a reliable picture of safety.
- Learning was based on a thorough analysis and investigation of any errors and incidents. Opportunities for learning from internal and external incidents were maximised.
- The practice had effective systems in place to minimise risks to patient safety. The practice actively pre-empted risks to patients known to be more vulnerable.
- Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
- Patient feedback indicated that patients were treated with compassion and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
- Information about services and how to complain was available. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
- The service was accessible. Patient feedback was positive about the ease of getting an appointment. Urgent appointments were available the same day.
- The practice had adequate facilities and was equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. The lack of space acted as a constraint on the expansion of services.
- 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.
We saw two areas of outstanding practice:
- The practice had comprehensive, systems and processes in place to ensure that patients received safe care and treatment. The practice and corporate team had fostered a genuinely open and transparent culture of reporting and maximised learning from incidents. There were comprehensive systems to keep people safe, taking account of current best practice. The whole team was engaged in reviewing and improving safety and safeguarding systems.
- The practice had developed a proactive approach to anticipating and managing risks to people who use services. The practice maintained lists of its more vulnerable patients. These patients were allocated a personal GP who proactively reviewed their list and was alerted each time one of their patients contacted the practice. This system enabled the practice to monitor the wellbeing of patients at risk and identify any developing issues at an early stage.
Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice