Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Appleby Surgery on 14 June 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance.
• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• Patients said they were able to get an appointment with a GP when they needed one, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice had very good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There was a clear leadership structure in place and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which they acted on.
• The practice had an effective governance framework which supported good quality care.
• Clinical and non-clinical staff had lead roles and staff throughout the practice worked very well together as a team. Staff retention was high and there had been only one change to the partnership over the past 15 years.
• Managers had a comprehensive understanding of the performance of the practice.
• The practice had effective arrangements for identifying, recording and managing risks, issues and implementing mitigating actions.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Continue to seek ways to identify carers within the practice population.
• Implement Patient Specific Directions to allow the practice’s healthcare assistant to administer flu immunisations to patients.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice