Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr R Hyslop on 27 August 2015. Overall, the practice is rated as good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led services.

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

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. All opportunities for learning from internal and external incidents were maximised.
• Information about how to complain was available and easy to understand
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. Information was provided to help patients understand the care available to them.
• The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback from patients and from the Patient Participation Group (PPG).
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• The practice had a clear vision about providing a quality and caring service in a safe way.
• 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.

• 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.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We spoke with the GP, the practice nurse, reception staff and two healthcare professionals who worked in liaison with the practice. We were told that a patients’ participation group is currently being set up.

We spoke with ten patients from the practice. One patient told us, ‘’I’ve been a patient for over 20 years. My wife is also a patient. I get on well with the doctor, he always has time and is interested.’’ Some other comments made by patients included, ‘’ Clean surgery. Old building, looks nice’’ and ‘’ I’m happy with the way staff approach me. They all know me. They are interested in me.’’

We found that good communication and referral pathways existed between the medical practice and other healthcare professionals. Patients confirmed that the GP had supported them throughout the referral process. We saw evidence of guidance in place to protect vulnerable adults and children and saw that communication with the safeguarding teams had taken place when concerns had been raised about either children or vulnerable adults.

We observed systems in place to assess and monitor infection control at the practice. We saw that some audits had taken place and that some further development was required in relation to audits and guidance. The provider may like to note that we observed some damage to the ceiling in the telephone room on the first floor.

We reviewed one complaint and noted that the complaints process had been followed as identified by the provider.