Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

This practice is rated as Good overall.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Requires improvement

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) – Requires improvement

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Blaydon GP Led Surgery on 18 January 2018 as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

• The practice had some systems in place to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. However, they did not have an effective system in place to ensure that the cold chain was being maintained or monitored for medicines requiring refrigeration.
• The practice could not demonstrate effective clinical audit activity that led to improvements in patient care and outcomes
• The practice ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence-based guidelines.
• Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care when they needed it.
• The practice monitored and responded to the needs of their patient population. They had introduced extended opening hours to reflect the needs of patients who worked and students and had employed a paramedic to improve access to healthcare services and home visits.

There were areas where the provider must make improvements:

• The provider should ensure that care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.

The provider should also:

• Take steps to ensure that vulnerable patients and those with mental health conditions are reviewed regularly and supported appropriately
• Develop an effective programme of clinical audit activity
• Develop a schedule of formal minuted meetings for non-clinical staff

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

The provider had undertaken more clinical audit activity to improve services. The audits we looked at had yet to undergo a second cycle that would ascertain if impovements had been maintained. The provider should therefore:

• Continue with their plans to develop a rolling programme of comprehensive clinical audit activity across all their locations.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice