Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at 9.00 am on 21 April 2015. The practice had previously been inspected during our pilot phase in August 2014. We must conduct inspections at those practices that were inspected during our pilot phase in order to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Overall the practice is rated as good.
Specifically, we found the practice to be requires improvement for providing effective services, good for providing safe, caring and responsive services and good for being well led. It was also good for providing services for the older people, people with long-term conditions, families, children and young people, working age people (including those recently retired), people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable and people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).
Our key findings were as follows:
Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses.
Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. Information was provided to help patients understand the care available to them.
The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback from patients and from the Patient Participation Group (PPG).
The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. Information about how to complain was available and easy to understand.
There was clear leadership in place with named members of staff in lead roles.
However, there were also areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.
The provider should:
Provide training for non-clinical staff in safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
Provide annual update training for all staff in basic life support in line with the UK resuscitation council guidelines.
Ensure a legionella risk assessment is in place to identify and mitigate risk associated with legionella bacteria.
Ensure clinical audit cycles are completed to demonstrate improvements in patient outcomes.
Carry out annual, written appraisals for non-clinical staff.
Develop a vision for the practice which involves the improvement of the quality of patient care and share with staff.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice