Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Park Surgery on 11 January 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 practice had clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise risks to patient safety.
• Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Results from the national GP patient survey showed patients were generally treated with compassion, dignity and respect 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.
• Patients we spoke with said they had experienced some difficulties making appointments in advance although urgent appointments were 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, which it acted on.
• The practice had a strong emphasis on continuous improvements with evidence of proactive quality improvement and the use of clinical audit, was a training practice and actively participated in research.
• The provider was aware of the requirements of the duty of candour. Examples we reviewed showed the practice complied with these requirements.
• The practice had three defibrillators inside the building and one outside that could be used by the public.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

• A member of staff acted as a carers’ champion to help ensure that the various services supporting carers were coordinated and effective. Carer support groups were held regularly at the practice. The practice care coordinator role was in place to support both carers and patients who required additional support. The practice evaluated the service provided and collated feedback and 87% of 23 survey respondents reported they felt more independent in their own home as direct result of the contact they had with the care coordinator.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Continue to take action to improve patient access to appointments and the phone lines and monitor through the use of repeat patient surveys and a review of satisfaction.
• Review patient satisfaction with consultations in relation to the GP patient survey e.g. in relation to nurses explaining tests and treatments.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We spoke with five patients who used the service who had attended on the day of inspection for an appointment. These patients were randomly selected. The receptionists handed out slips to patients asking them if they would be prepared to speak with us either in person or on the telephone.

We spoke with staff that included; the practice manager, a practice nurse, a healthcare assistant, two receptionists and the registered manager, who was the lead general practitioner (GP). We also spoke with the health visitor and midwife who although not employed by the surgery offer a service to patients. We spoke with the chairman of the Friends of Park Surgery.

We used a number of different methods to help us understand the experiences of patients who used the service. We spent time talking with people observing interaction between staff and patients. We reviewed records and systems and looked at the environment. There were comfortable waiting areas and a good number of consulting rooms

When registered the provider declared compliance with all outcome areas.

We saw that patients were treated with respect and had treatment options discussed with them.

We saw that there were effective infection control measures in place to prevent the spread of infection.

We looked at the processes that the practice had in place to ensure the people who used the service were protected from abuse. These processes ensured staff had an understanding of adult and child abuse and what to do if it was suspected.

We looked at the systems and processes the practice had in place to review the quality of the service provided. These processes ensured information provided was used to improve the service provided.