Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at St Anthony’s Health Centre on 17 February 2015.

Overall the practice was rated as good. The practice provided outstanding care for people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
• People’s needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and training planned.
• The practice had a strong community awareness and understood that some health outcomes were best improved by working with local people to help them improve their own health. The practice encouraged patients to improve their own health, and had supported practice Health Champions. Successful initiatives included a walking group, guided cycle rides for over 50s and a patient choir.
• The practice had a proactive approach to regularly identify, review and plan how they met the needs of all identified vulnerable patients. This included those patients whose needs might not otherwise be considered at other multidisciplinary meetings. This helped ensure they planned for and were meeting the needs of their vulnerable patients.
• The practice had systems in place for completing clinical audit cycles to review and improve patient care.
• 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.
• 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 they acted upon.
• The practice had been visited by a team from Skills for People to learn how they could improve the way they met the needs of patients with learning disabilities. They had acted upon the recommendations made.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice