Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Chesser Surgery on 4th October 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 with the exception of health and safety risk assessment of the premises

  ; however the practice held a risk register and monitored risks for both staff and patients.

• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had 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; however the provider was not sending response letters to all patients who had lodged a complaint.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day. However patients reported experiencing long waits when they attended for appointments.
• 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.

There were areas of practice where the provider should make improvements:

• Review practice procedures to ensure all the recommendations from the legionella risk assessment are actioned.
• Ensure that a health and safety risk assessment of the premises is undertaken and that sharps bins are safely stored.
• Review practice procedures to ensure all prescribed medicines are linked to patient problems in patients’ medical notes in the clinical system.
• Review how they inform patients of any late running of the surgeries and work to reduce the length of time patients have to wait to be seen.
• Review how patients with caring responsibilities are identified to ensure information, advice and support is made available to them.
• Review practice procedures to ensure response letters are sent to all patients who had lodged a complaint.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice