Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Rivergreen Medical Centre on 28 September 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 within the practice. Effective systems were in place to report, record and learn from significant events. Learning was shared with staff and external stakeholders where appropriate.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance.

• GPs worked collaboratively with neighbouring practices in the area in forming a research hub and sharing a clinical pharmacist resource.

• The practice demonstrated a caring approach by holding a joint carers event with neighbouring practices to support the health and wellbeing of patients identified as carers in their community.

• Training was provided for staff which equipped 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 they were able to get an appointment with a GP when they needed one, with urgent appointments available on the same day.

• 100% of patients stated they had confidence in the last GP they saw or spoke to.

• The practice was awarded the ‘You’re Welcome’ status for meeting the criteria for young people friendly health services.

• 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 and learning from complaints was shared with staff and stakeholders.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. Services were designed to meet the needs of patients.

• 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 partners held an annual business review meeting where all staff were involved, with a half yearly review.

We saw an outstanding feature:

• The practice was forward thinking in anticipating future models of care by taking the lead on local projects regarding new models of care and developing unique roles in the practice. They had employed a GP Support Officer to provide administration support and enable GPs to allocate more time to appointments.

However, there was an area where the provider should consider improvements:

• Review the system for monitoring emergency medicines kept in doctor’s bags to ensure the GPs carry in date medicines when they undertake home visits.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice