Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Arnewood Practice on 12 July 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. All opportunities for learning from internal and external incidents were maximised.
• 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.
• The practice achieved consistently positive patient feedback. The most recent national GP survey results were consistently above local and national averages for patient satisfaction.
• 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.
• The practice worked closely with other organisations and with the local community in planning how services were provided to ensure that they meet patients’ needs. For example, the practice worked with local schools to secure a health and well-being worker for school-aged children.
• The practice had strong and visible clinical and managerial leadership and governance arrangements 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.

We saw areas of outstanding practice:

• The practice led a collaboration of six other local practices to offer a seven day GP service to patients. Patients registered at one of these practices could access urgent and routine GP appointments and other primary care services at a local community hospital every day from 8am until 8pm. The practices shared the same computer system with the hospital and could easily share care plans and urgent communication. We saw feedback from patients who valued the additional choice and availability of appointments of this service.
• The practice had exemplary systems in place to keep patients safe and safeguard them from abuse. For example, the practice conducted frequent safeguarding audits and implemented changes to improve practice when identified.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice