During our inspection we spoke with the practice manager, a doctor, a practice nurse, two receptionists and a healthcare assistant. We also spoke with five patients. Patients told us they were treated respectfully by their doctor and all the staff were approachable. They said that the doctors discussed their options with them and they had a choice about any treatment required.
'On the day' appointments were available and patients could book routine appointments up to three weeks in advance. Some early morning, late evening and weekend appointments were available.
We saw that all areas of the practice were visibly clean. Protective clothing such as disposable gloves were available and liquid hand wash, alcohol hand gel and paper towels were available in all consultation rooms.
Regular checks on the quality of service provided were carried out.
Not all the required checks were carried out for staff prior to them starting work.
Most of the sterile equipment for use in a medical emergency was past its expiry date. One sterile wound pack had an expiry date of October 2006. Other equipment was visibly dirty and not appropriately stored.