Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at South Hermitage Surgery on 22 February 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.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had 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.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice was a participant in the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund pilot, offering evening and weekend appointments across the locality with a range of GPs allowing full data-sharing of records. This service worked with a number of practices to extend GP opening hours with appointments which could be made at the participating GP practices between 6pm and 8pm weekdays and 9am and 1pm on Saturdays.
• The practice had improved patient access to services following their Patient Participation Group (PPG) survey and provided early morning appointment for patients twice a week from 7.30am and lunchtime appointments with the practice nurses.
• 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.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We reviewed the information available to us about South Hermitage Surgery on 24 May 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.