Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out a focused desktop inspection of Swanage Medical Practice on 14 April 2016 to assess whether the practice had made the improvements in providing safe care and services.

We had previously carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Swanage Medical Practice on 26 August 2015 when we rated the practice as good overall. The practice was rated as requires improvement for providing safe care. This was because of how the cleaning cupboard that stored substances potentially harmful to health was managed.

We asked the provider to send a report of the changes they would make to comply with the regulations they were not meeting at that time. The practice was able to demonstrate that they were meeting the standards. The practice is now rated as good for providing safe care. The overall rating remains as good.

This report should be read in conjunction with the full inspection report.

Our key findings across 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.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Swanage Medical Practice on 26 August 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected 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.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Patients’ 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 planned for.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about treatment.

• The practice experienced a high demand for appointments, especially during the summer months and had introduced an additional temporary residents surgery to provide care for a high number of holiday makers that attended the practice.
• Only 70.9% of patients were satisfied with the practice’s opening hours compared to the Clinical Commissioning Group average of 78.8% and national average of 75.7%.

• 100% of people experiencing poor mental health had a care plan documented in their records within the last 12 months and the practice was proactive in supporting people experiencing poor mental health.

• 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.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

• The cleaning cupboard used for storing cleaning products as well as keys must be secured to prevent unauthorised access.

In addition, the provider should:

• Ensure that all staff where relevant receive updated training in key areas such as infection control and health and safety.
• Continue to monitor and improve access to patient appointments and publicise the times of extended hour’s surgeries to patients.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice