Roundwood Park Medical Centre

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Roundwood Park Medical Centre on 2 February 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. The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment and had expanded the range of services available to patients.  
• Patients said they were treated with care and concern and we received positive feedback about the practice. National patient survey results tended to be lower than average for patient involvement however.
• Information about services and how to complain was available at the practice and easy to understand although little information was available on the practice website. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they found it easy to get through to the practice by telephone and their experience of making an appointment was good.  However, appointments quite often ran late and this created patient frustration. 
• Patients could consult a male or female GP and a translation service was available. Urgent appointments were available the same day.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. The practice was located in the same building as a range of community health services which facilitated good coordination of care.
• There was a clear leadership structure, an open culture and staff said they were well supported. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
• The practice participated in locality-wide initiatives, for example opening at the weekend and providing insulin initiation for patients from the practice and the wider locality.
• The practice was a training and teaching practice. Feedback from trainees and students about the quality of clinical education at the practice was very positive.
• There was a strong focus on learning and improvement. The practice provided examples of how it had improved outcomes, for example, in cancer care.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• The practice should review whether it can reduce the frequency of late running appointments while remaining accessible to patients in need.
• The practice should improve patient satisfaction with involvement in care.
• The practice should continue to focus on improving the control of diabetes within the practice population.
• The practice should provide information on the complaints process on the practice website.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice