Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Robinson and Partners, also known as Westfield Road Surgery, on 13 December 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.
• The practice had a comprehensive business continuity plan.
• Emergency medicines and equipment were stored securely but easily accessible.

• Staff were aware of their responsibilities in helping to safeguard and protect patients and had undertaken specific training appropriate to their role to support this.
• Data from the national GP patient survey published in July 2016 showed patients rated the practice higher than others for several aspects of care.
• 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. They worked well with multidisciplinary teams, including community and social services to plan and implement care for their patients.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• The practice had identified 84 patients as carers (approximately 1.6% of the practice list).
• 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 held regular staff and clinical meetings where learning was shared from significant events and complaints.
• Patients had commented that it was sometimes difficult to contact the practice by telephone and this was being addressed by the practice by offering online access and planning to upgrade the current system.
• The practice offered extended hours appointments.
• 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:

• Improve patient access to the practice by telephone and monitor patients satisfaction levels with this.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice