Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Burlein and Partners on 23 August 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. For example, emergency systems were tested to allow staff to practise use of equipment.
• There was a commitment to improving patient safety in the practice shown by the practice’s scenario testing of emergency procedures and additional safety training by one GP to share learning across the organisation.
• 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 had gathered feedback from patients through the Patient Participation Group (PPG) who were involved in trying to reduce non attended appointments.
• 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 practice was a ‘Dementia Friendly Surgery’. An external dementia advisor was available in the practice once a week from 10am until 12 noon. The advisor provided a face to face support service for patients with dementia and their families.

• The training ethos of the practice meant that they are able to support student nurses and newly qualified nurses to understand primary care practice and study a general practice nursing qualification.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Review infection control guidelines, in relation to the management of sharps.
• Encourage patients to attend, where efforts have previously failed, in order to ensure that patients are receiving care and support such as those with diabetes and high blood pressure or high cholesterol.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice