Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Aylmer Lodge Cookley Partnership on 19 October 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.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had received training which provided them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.

• 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.

• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and 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.

• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

We saw areas of outstanding practice including:

• The practice were very active in identifying and caring for people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. This included working closely with other organisations, and setting up meetings between agencies to help provide support for vulnerable patients.

• Patient Participation Group (PPG) members attended the practice a number of times a week according to members’ availability and there was a rota in place for this. This was to support patients, for example, by helping to show patients around the building, to provide reassurance, to help signpost to local support services, and to help gather feedback to share with the practice.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We reviewed the information available to us about Aylmer Lodge Cookley Partnership on 10 May 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.