Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Haven Medical Centre on 19 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. Learning from events and safety incidents was shared with practice staff.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. The practice was committed to staff training and development and the practice team had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver high quality care and effective 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.
• Patients said they were able to make an appointment with a GP or nurse for the following week, but that it was often difficult to make an appointment with their preferred GP. Urgent appointments were 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.
• There was an active Patient participation Group (PPG) which liaised regularly with the practice to make improvements.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• The practice should ensure that their processes for storing prescription pads is adhered to and monitored.
• The practice should proactively encourage relevant patients to attend for bowel cancer screening so that uptake is in line with CCG and national averages.
• The practice should be proactive in identifying patients who are also carers

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice