Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Newton Place Surgery on 20 October 2016. 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 for reporting and recording significant events. Learning and outcomes from these events was systematically shared throughout the practice.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. The practice had identified some areas of infection prevention and control that required improvements and at the time of inspection had begun to implement a range of improvements.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with 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.
• Patients told us on the day of the inspection that they were able to get appointments when they needed them.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. 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.
• The practice was a member of Encompass (a multi-centred community venture consisting of 16 other GP practices, the CCG, three other NHS trusts, the local council and local social services, the local hospice and numerous voluntary groups), which aimed at providing services in the community and reducing the need for patients to travel to secondary care.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
• Members of the PPG told us they felt very involved in running the practice and had worked in collaboration with the practice management and staff to formulate and implement the Practice’s Vision Statement.
• The practice was forward thinking and had a systematic approach to working with staff, the PPG and other organisations to bring research in to primary care as well as developing and implementing a comprehensive range of services.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• The practice should continue with their plans to provide the infection control lead with additional relevant infection control training and carry out an infection prevention and control risk assessment.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice