Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Sandy Lane Surgery on 1 November 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 in place for reporting and recording significant events. The practice carried out a thorough analysis of the significant events and scheduled all actions taken as a result of events for further review.
• Learning points from significant events were shared both internally and externally to improve patient safety.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• 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.
• The practice followed comprehensive protocols that defined how changes to NICE guidelines and patient safety alerts should be managed.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• 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.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments 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 provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice:

• The practice had run patient health awareness days. As a result of a recent dementia awareness event, the practice had improved communication with patients suffering from dementia and their carers. They had undertaken a care review for every patient on the practice register.
• The practice had introduced home visiting for patients with learning disabilities to conduct health reviews when necessary. Staff had trained in accessible information standards and each patient’s preferred methods of communication were recorded on these patients’ records.
• The practice had introduced Sunday opening for patients who could not attend during normal opening hours as well as Saturday opening.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice