We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Chawton House Surgery on 21 March 2019 as part of our inspection programme.

We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:

• what we found when we inspected
• information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
• information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We have rated this practice as good overall and good for all population groups.

We found that:

• The practice had a comprehensive programme of undertaking audits which drove improvement throughout the practice.
• The practice’s website was user-friendly and provided patients with appropriate information and links to additional support to encourage a proactive approach to patients monitoring their own health needs.
• The practice had introduced live task groups to its electronic record-keeping system to monitor those patients thought to be vulnerable or at risk. This allowed for timely documentation following multi-disciplinary team meetings and improved monitoring of those patients.
• The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
• Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
• Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care. Patient feedback was consistently positive.
• The practice organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
• The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

Whilst we found no breaches of regulations, the provider should:

• Review the content of its safeguarding policies to reflect the safety of its online services.
• Improve arrangements for an active patient participation group.
• Continue to monitor the uptake rates for childhood immunisations and cervical screening to remain in line with national targets.
• Continue to monitor and address any outliers in relation to Quality and Outcome Framework performance data, especially exception reporting.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Chawton House Surgery on 5 November 2014. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, well-led, effective, caring and responsive services. It was also good for providing services for all the populations groups.

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

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
• 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.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider should:

• Ensure appointment times are clearly advertised in the patient leaflet, practice website and NHS Choices.
• Review current basic life support training requirements. Consider whether all staff should receive basic life support training to prevent any delays in care or treatment of a patient in an emergency.
• Ensure all staff have role specific Mental Capacity Act 2005 training.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice