Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Mollison Way Surgery on 14 September 2017. 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 a system in place for reporting and recording significant events. The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.
• The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise risks to patient safety.

• Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment and liaised with other health and social services professionals to coordinate care.

• Staff were proactively supported to maintain their professional development and acquire new skills. They had access to appropriate and bespoke training to meet their learning needs and to cover the scope of their work.
• Patient feedback was mixed when compared against other practices. The patient feedback we received was positive. Patients said they were treated with compassion and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• 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 practice used innovative and proactive methods to improve patient outcomes and worked with other local and national healthcare providers to share best practice.

We saw areas of outstanding practice:

• The electronic dashboard used across the provider group was a powerful tool for understanding the practice's comparative performance across a range of clinical indicators and had helped drive local improvement, for example in managing diabetes.
• Staff had access to a learning and development portfolio featuring training programs tailored for each staff role. For example, fortnightly web-based training for healthcare assistants; development support for practice nurses; a development programme for practice managers and a fortnightly consultant led learning program for clinicians.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• The practice should continue with its focus to improve patient experience as measured by the national GP patient survey.
• The practice should ensure it documents its response to recommendations arising from its Legionella risk assessment so it can demonstrate that all identified risks have effectively mitigated.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice