We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Middlewich Road Surgery on the 30 June 2015. The overall rating for the practice was good. The domain of safe required improvement. The full comprehensive report on the inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Middlewich Road Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was a desk-based review carried out on 24 January 2017 to confirm that the practice had implemented their plan to improve some aspects of safety within the practice. This report covers our findings in relation to improvements made since our last inspection.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice had addressed the issues identified during the previous inspection.

• They had updated their guidance and review of their triage system.

• They had arrangements are in place to ensure that prescriptions were held securely at all times to avoid unauthorised access.

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Middlewich surgery on 30 June 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Systems were in place to ensure incidents and significant events were identified, investigated and reported. Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and to report incidents. Information had been regularly shared and disseminated amongst the whole staff team so that everyone had opportunities to learn from significant events however clinical meetings had only recently commenced for the whole team.
• The practice proactively sought to educate their patients to manage their medical conditions and improve their lifestyles by having additional in house services such as a diabetic clinic.
• The practice had signed up to a local CCG led service for patients with dementia to promote early diagnosis and intervention.
• The practice made good use of a large amount of clinical audits where the clinical staff had taken various actions to promote better patient outcomes.
• Staff had received training appropriate to their role however in-depth training would benefit staff that operated the triage system.
• Patients spoke highly about the practice and its staff. They said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.

• The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it operated its phone systems to improve patient satisfaction as a consequence of feedback from patients. The practice sought to attract more members to their patient participation group (PPG).

• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• Urgent appointments were available on the same day.
• 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.

Action the provider SHOULD take to improve:

• The provider should review the current system in place to regularly assess and monitor the quality and safety of the triage service provided.

• The provider should ensure that arrangements are in place to ensure that prescription pads are held securely at all times to avoid unauthorised access.

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice