Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Burley Park Medical Centre on Thursday 10th December 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. All opportunities for learning from internal and external incidents were maximised.
• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• The practice used innovative and proactive methods to improve patient outcomes, working with other local providers to share best practice. For example the Quality Improvement Scheme for cervical cytology, working with five other practices.
• Feedback from patients about their care was positive.
• 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 worked closely with other organisations and with the local community in planning how services were provided to ensure that they meet people’s needs. For example the service on weekends and bank holidays.
• The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback from patients and from the patient participation group (PPG). For example changing the times of the Paediatric asthma clinic and extended opening hours.
• The practice had good, well maintained facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. Information about how to complain was available and easy to understand
• The practice had a clear vision which had quality and safety as a priority. The strategy to deliver this vision was regularly reviewed and discussed with staff.
• 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.
• 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 several areas of outstanding practice including:
• The practice worked closely with other organisations and with the local community in planning how services were provided to ensure that they meet people’s needs. For example, the practice worked with the CCG and another practice to provide a service on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. This a CCG hub initiative with the Practice being a keen early adopter and which has provided noticeable reductions in accident and emergency (A & E) and demands on the practice at peak times such as Monday mornings.
• The practice provided a GP service to two local care/nursing homes in the area. This included planned weekly visits by a named GP. This service had been running for over 20 years and we were told that there is anecdotal evidence that these homes have the lowest admission rate in the Leeds area. The practice was highly commended by the CCG on the quality of their application for the care home local enhanced service (LES) and was described as a ‘Gold standard for providing this level of care' by the clinical lead for long term conditions.  
• Burley 2000 lunch club was set up by the practice, in collaboration with the local church, to help to reduce the feelings of loneliness and isolation of older people.
• The needs of vulnerable people such as the homeless or substance mis-users were discussed in clinical meetings. The practice had established links with a local bail hostel to support the development of a service for the residents.

However there were areas of practice where the provider should make improvements:

• Ensure all staff, have annual appraisals.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We reviewed the information available to us about Burley Park Medical Centre on 21 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.