24 August 2016
During a routine inspection
Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Marshside Surgery –Dr Wainwright (known locally as The Marshside Surgery) on 24 August 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.
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The practice used innovative and proactive methods to improve patient outcomes. For example, the practice signed up to a trial of Alivecor devices, which could be used with mobile phones to confirm whether patients have atrial fibrillation. Early diagnosis of the condition allows prompt treatment for patients.
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Feedback from patients about their care was consistently and highly positive.
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The practice worked closely with other organisations and the local community in planning how services were provided to ensure they meet patients’ needsFor example, one of the practice partners worked with hospital paediatric consultants and the community nursing teams to develop the Children’s Community Nursing Outreach Team. This service provided support for children whose condition made them vulnerable to hospital admission. This was piloted by the practice and two other surgeries locally. As a result this service was successful and now accepts GP referrals from any practice across the CCG, helping avoiding admissions of unwell children safely.
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The practice is involved with the CCG “New ways of working group”, looking at all clinical and support roles in the locality to see if there are better ways of delivering services to all patients.
- The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback from patients. When satisfaction scores for interactions with reception staff dipped, all staff were given further customer service and conflict resolution training.
- The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
- The practice actively reviewed complaints and how they are managed and responded to, and made improvements as a result.
- The practice had a clear vision which had quality and safety as its top priority.
- The partners strived to deliver good outcomes for patients; where improvements were required, steps were taken to deliver these, for example in the improvement of care for diabetic patients.
- The practice had strong and visible clinical and managerial leadership and governance arrangements.
Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice