Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Chadwick Practice on 29 September 2016. 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.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide 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. The practice promoted a no blame culture and encouraged staff to raise concerns and possible risks.
• 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.

• Feedback from patients about their care was consistently positive.

• 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

The practice had developed a range of in-house information and education leaflets, a number of which were easy read and pictorial. For example they had developed an A4 brochure giving patient information about the blood taking procedure. It was an easy read brochure which also contained photographs of the procedure and gave patient clear explanations of what to expect though each part of the procedure.

The practice provided a ‘drop in’ clinic for patients who needed blood tests. This allowed for flexibility and good access for patients.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice