Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Kingston Medical Centre on 13 September 2016. 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 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.
• 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.
• 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.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Ensure infection control audit actions in regards to building work requirements are fully completed in line with infection control national guidelines.

• The system for ensuring all alerts are completed should be acted on.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

People we spoke with were complementary about how they were made fully aware of their treatment options options; they also told us and that consent was always sought beforehand. People told us Comments included, “I always get a call back from the practice to remind me of my appointment.”

We observed reception staff greeting patients in a professional, courteous and calm manner which ensured patients remained as ease during their appointment prior to visiting the GP.

Staff we spoke with confirmed that they were responsible for the general cleanliness of their own surgery.

We also looked at supervision records that included a probationary period review that which ensured the desired level of staff skills were met.

The practice took account of compliments and records we looked at included comments such as; “I would like to say thank you very much for checking me so well and maybe saving my life by moving so quickly.”