Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr T Ryder (Ruskington Medical Practice) on 4 February 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led services. It was also good for providing services for all the population groups.

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

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. The practice was proactive in providing training and staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
• 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.
• Some patients said they found difficulty in making an appointment but urgent appointments were available on 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 well supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider should:

• Manage blank prescription pads in accordance with national guidance to ensure their security.
• Ensure sharps bins are labelled and emptied when three quarters full.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We inspected the Ruskington Medical Practice because they told us that they were not fully meeting the standard, ‘Respecting and involving people who use services’. During our inspection we found that the practice had addressed the issues and were now meeting the standard.

During our inspection of the Ruskington Medical Practice we spoke with eight people visiting the practice. Comments they gave us included: "The reception staff are helpful and friendly, it's easy to get an appointment with a nurse, but a little more difficult to get an appointment with the doctor."

People using the service told us they were given information, and were involved in their treatment.

From the evidence we were saw people were protected against the risks associated with medicines dispensed at the practice.

We spoke with members of staff and looked at staff records; these evidenced staff were appropriately trained and supported.

We saw that records were kept securely and held current information.