Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
At our previous inspection on 14 October 2014, we rated the practice as good overall. At this inspection, we have also rated the practice as good.
The key questions are rated as:
Are services safe? – Good
Are services effective? – Good
Are services caring? – Good
Are services responsive? – Good
Are services well-led? - Good
As part of our inspection process, we also look at the quality of care for specific population groups. The population groups are rated as:
Older People – Good
People with long-term conditions – Good
Families, children and young people – Good
Working age people (including those recently retired and students – Good
People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable – Good
People experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia) - Good
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Haltwhistle Medical Group on 11 December 2017 to check the provider continues to meet the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
At this inspection we found:
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The practice had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
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The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care and treatment they provided. Staff ensured that care and treatment was delivered in line with evidence- based guidelines.
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Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care and treatment when they needed it.
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There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
- The practice had a clear vision to deliver high quality care and promote good outcomes for patients. There were a strong and cohesive staff team, with high levels of staff satisfaction.
We also saw an area of outstanding practice:
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Feedback from patients about access to appointments, the practice’s opening hours and the quality of their care and treatment was continuously very positive. The results of the NHS National GP Patient Survey, published in July 2017, showed patients rated the practice higher for all aspects of care, when compared to the local clinical commissioning group (CCG) and national averages. This high level of achievement had been sustained over a number of years.
The area where the provider should make an improvement is:
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice