Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out this comprehensive inspection on 25 March 2015.

Overall, we rated this practice as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice provided a good standard of care, led by current best practice guidelines.
• The practice had a good understanding of the patient population and their needs.
• Patients told us they were treated with dignity and respect.
• Staff told us they felt confident and well supported in their roles.
• The practice performed well in the management of long term conditions.
• The practice had developed good continuity of care for patients in nursing homes.
• The practice promoted shared learning from incidents.
• The building was safe for patients to access, with sufficient facilities and equipment to provide safe effective services.

We saw some areas of outstanding practice including:

• Enhanced care plans and communication/education with care homes including weekly ward rounds.
• The practice provided an additional voluntary service to hospice patients who did not already have their own GP.
• Newly registered patients with visual impairments were invited to the practice for a walk through induction.

However, there were also areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

The provider should:

• Ensure that documented action points arising from risk assessments are carried out.
• Explore options to improve patient privacy in the reception area.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice