Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Claughton Medical Centre on 13 October 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. We discussed with the practice the need to review how information was disseminated to the practice 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 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. We discussed with the practice the need to ensure there was information about how to complain available on their website. 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 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 improvement are:

• Review the new systems in place with regard to safeguarding to ensure they are embedded and effective.

• Review the new system in place with regard to the issuing of repeat prescriptions to ensure it is embedded and effective.

• Ensure information about how to complain is available on the practice website.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Patients told us they were very satisfied with the service provided by the practice. Comments made included:

“The service is excellent from the doctors, nurses, and receptionists. All are first class”,

“Excellent, I am really satisfied with the service this centre supplies”,

“It’s excellent, the whole culture is one of very supportive, very accommodating and supportive”,

We found that there were suitable systems in place to gain consent from the patients. Staff who obtained consent were experienced and knowledgeable in their field of expertise and were able to describe the consent process for both formal and informal consent. Staff demonstrated knowledge and understanding of safeguarding of vulnerable adults and children.

We found that patients care and treatment was assessed, planned and delivered in order to meet their needs. Care and treatment plans were fully documented and reviewed and patients were fully informed and involved in their care or treatment.

Staff were trained and appraised appropriately and there was monitoring of training and development needs. Staff told us they were well supported by the manager and provider.

We found the provider had effective systems in place for monitoring the quality of services with an embedded culture of clinical governance evident. (Clinical governance is a systematic approach to maintaining and improving the quality of patient care and safeguarding high standards of care within a healthcare system)