Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at, St Andrew’s Surgery, 166 Market Street, Eastleigh, Hampshire, SO50 5PT on 7 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 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 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.
• 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.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Patients told us that they had received a thorough consultation and diagnosis and felt well cared for by the staff and the doctor’s. Some patients told us that they had been referred to a specialist’s after consultations with their doctor and all confirmed that the doctors had fully explained the reasons for such referrals. One patient told us: “I had to be referred to a specialist. It was a very efficient process”.

Reviews of patients medicines were carried out annually or earlier according to patient need. One doctor we spoke with told us and we saw that medicine reviews were flagged on the system so they were able to carry out reviews where possible during usual consultations. From a review of patient notes we saw that review dates were clearly shown on the system enabling GPs to prescribe appropriately. This meant that medicines were prescribed and given to patients appropriately.

All consultations and treatment took place on the ground floor. There was level access to the main entrance and the corridors and waiting areas were wide enough for wheel chair access. The layout of the premises gave easy access and exit. The inside of the premises was light and well ventilated which promoted patients' comfort and wellbeing.

All clinical staff were required to provide evidence of their professional qualifications and registration. We saw that the GPs were on the Performer's List, which aims to provide further reassurance to members of the public that GPs practicing in the NHS are suitably qualified, have kept up to date with their training and have had the relevant checks. All nursing staff were registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) and copies of up to date registrations were held in their personnel files.