Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Victoria Muir’s Surgery on 20 April 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.

• The practice worked closely with other organisations and with the local community in planning how services were provided to ensure that they meet patients’ needs. For example. The practice had signed up for the Out of hospital service, 'Mental Health Level 1 and 2'.
• There are innovative approaches to providing integrated patient-centred care. The practice had employed their own counsellor.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

We saw areas of outstanding practice:

• Staff routinely go the extra mile and patients feel the care they receive exceeds their expectations. For example, we were told that when the GP learnt that a patient who lived on their own, had been discharged from hospital on a Friday afternoon without an appropriate plan being put in place. The GP purchased essential food items for the patient and immediately carried out a home visit. We were also told by several patients that the practice had paid for a taxi on occasions to take them to other community services or back to their homes, when they were concerned about their health conditions.

• The practice had employed their own counsellor who had a recovery rate of 76% compared to the CCG average of 40%.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• The practice nurse who was the infection control lead should undertake further training to enable them to provide advice on the practice infection control policy and carry out staff training.

• Ensure regular practice meetings are held.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice