Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr AM Lewis & Dr R M Patel on 19 November 2015. 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 the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and 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 had a patient participation group in place.
• Not all staff had completed Mental Capacity Act (MCA) training and not all staff were able to demonstrate an understanding of the act and could relate it to their roles.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Review staff awareness of the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and ensure all staff are aware of their responsibilities under the Act as it relates to their role.
• Review the process with regard to monitoring prescriptions that had not been collected to identify any patient issues.
• Review the agenda of practice meetings to ensure that it incudes all relevant areas related to maintaining records of how the practice assess, monitor and improve the quality of service. Meetings should be minuted in order to record summaries of topics discussed and actions to be taken.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice