Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Alconbury & Brampton Surgeries on 24 November 2015. 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.

• 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.

• The dispensary was well run and people received their medication in a safe and timely way.

• There were high levels of patient satisfaction with the service demonstrated by the National GP Survey, the 46 comments cards we received and from the patients we spoke with on the day of our inspection

• Patients with caring responsibilities were proactively identified and supported by practice staff.

• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand, and complaints were dealt with in a timely way.

• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.

• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice including:

• The practice had a very active and involved patient participation group which raised money for equipment and ran a voluntary patient transport service. The practice had facilitated patient education meetings on issues such as carers’ needs, smoking cessation and with the diabetic nurse specialist.

• The practice ran an award scheme which recognised good work amongst its staff team.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• The practice should improve the way it manages patients on medicines that require regular blood testing and monitoring.

• The practice should improve the way it implements and reviews action taken in light of MHRA alerts to ensure patient safety.

• The practice should improve the security of prescription forms throughout the practice in line with national guidance (NHS Protect Security of Prescription Forms Guidance).

• The practice should ensure that it records any action it takes in response to the non-attendance of a child at a hospital appointment in the child’s notes.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We reviewed the information available to us about Alconbury & Brampton Surgeries on 15 June 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.