Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Brockwell Park Surgery on 3 December 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.

• 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 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.

• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

We saw four areas of outstanding practice:

• The practice had started a garden project on the premises. Patients with poor mental health and those with learning difficulties were encouraged to become involved in gardening in the practice’s garden to assist in the management of their mental health. The gardening project was run as a charitable enterprise, and any vegetables grown in the garden were sold to support the project. Patients that we spoke to who had been involved in the gardening project said that they had found it very helpful in building motivation and managing their mental health. Other patients told us that it was a pleasant area to sit in while they waited for their appointment, and that GPs were happy to pick them up from the garden when it was time for their appointment.

• The practice offered a safe space at the practice which was used by a service supporting victims of domestic violence. When patients were rehoused they were offered the opportunity of staying with the practice even if they lived outside of the practice boundaries.

• In order for staff to better understand the provisions of care to patients with dementia and the impact on their families, the practice had arranged for all staff at the surgery to attend an event where a family member of someone with dementia talked about their experience.

• The practice had put a number of quality improvements in place to better care for patients. This included the introduction of 15 minute consultation slots (which had been audited for efficacy). The practice had also completed a large number of audits (11) in the last two years. Learning points were clear and there were clear mechanisms in place to improve care.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice