Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Holmside Medical Group on 8 October 2015. 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. Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and report incidents and near misses
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and 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.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• Both the main and branch surgeries had good facilities and were 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. For example, apologies were issued where complaints had been upheld or errors discovered.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

• The practice is rated as outstanding for the care of people with a long term condition. The practice had adopted the Year of Care approach to caring for its patients with long term conditions. As a result patients received one combined annual review in their birthday month and were actively involved in care planning and decision making.

There were also areas where the provider should make improvements. The practice should:

• Consider replacing the carpet in the phlebotomy room of the main surgery with easy clean flooring

• Review and strengthen the process for recording and monitoring computer prescriptions.

• Review the use of patient group directions (PGDs) and understanding of patient specific directions by the healthcare assistants

• Review the system currently in place for selecting topics for clinical audit and ensure that full two cycle audits are completed to demonstrate improvement

• Review the decision not to have a defibrillator in the main surgery. If the outcome is that a defibrillator is not felt to be necessary a risk assessment detailing why and recording mitigating actions should be created.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

People were positive about the care they received at the practice. Comments included, “Dr X was lovely. She discussed all of the options and I was able to make a decision” and “My mum and I are both with the practice and it is very good”.

We found people were given all the information they needed to make an informed decision about their care.

We saw people were cared for effectively and care was planned for the individual.

People were protected from the risk of infection as the provider had a robust system in place to ensure their safety.

We saw staff were supported and received appropriate training and supervision.

The provider had an effective system in place to record and monitor complaints. Complaints were taken seriously and responded to appropriately.