This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection February 2015 – Good)

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? - Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Longford Street Medical Centre on 24 April 2018 as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

• The practice had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
• The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
• Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care when they needed it.
• There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
• The practice strongly supported staff in their development and training.
• The practice, with other practices in the Clinical Commissioning Group and the wider NHS, had receptionists who were trained as care navigators who signposted patients to the right person at the right time across a variety of health services.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• The practice staff should share, discuss and learn from significant events in practice meetings.
• The practice should share, discuss and learn from complaints in practice meetings.
• Improve the process for the management of medicines including high risk medicines.
• The practice should carry out a risk assessment and consider its emergency drug stock.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Longford Street Medical Centre 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 that we assess.

Our key findings 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. 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.
• Patients said they usually 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.
• 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.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice including:

• Working with providers of secondary care within the practice for the benefit of local patients

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Improve the documentation and management of significant events and safety alerts.
• Introduce a clear whistleblowing policy and train staff in their responsibilities.
• Provide training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
• Clarify the practice vision and embed it amongst staff.
• Set up patient participation group (PPG)

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice