Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Tennant Street Medical Practice on 11 October 2016. 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 report incidents and near misses. All opportunities for learning from internal and external incidents were maximised.

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events. The practice promoted a no blame culture and encouraged staff to raise concerns and possible risks.

• 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. When a complaint related to any aspect of clinical work it was discussed at the multi-disciplinary significant event meeting.

• 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 and pre bookable appointments available in two to three days. The GP partners held a personal patient list, which meant whenever possible the GPs saw their own patients. The exception would be when a GP was on annual leave. When the named GP was not available another GP provided buddy cover. These meant as far as possible the patients were seen by their named GPs or the buddy even when requesting an emergency appointment.

• Feedback from patients about their care was consistently positive.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. The practice had been extended and refurbished in 2015.

• 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. (The duty of candour is a set of specific legal requirements that providers of services must follow when things go wrong with care and treatment).

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

The practice had recently liaised with Public Health to organise a promotional event in all local community areas to promote the Lung Health check. The practice had identified a high incidence lung disease in their practice population and reluctance of patients to change their life styles.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice