Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The College Practice on 18 January 2017. 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 for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• The arrangements for managing medicines in the practice kept patients safe.
• 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.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• 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.
• Translation services were available to patients whose first language was not English; with staff at the practice who could speak Dutch, Sinhalese, Bengali and Welsh. We saw that the practices’ self check-in system was accessible in English and Nepalese, as well as other European languages.
• The practice had developed a wide range of other services for patients. The practice objective was to place the patients at the heart of the services, rather than the patients being sent through the health care system to access the services.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice 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 was a focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels within the practice.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

• Health promotion events were utilised by the practice as a means of supporting patients to live healthier lives. The PPG held information evenings annually. Additionally, the practice had a cycle scheme called ‘Cycle Healthy Cycle Happy’. The scheme was introduced to encourage patients to get back on their bikes and improve their health.

However there were areas of practice where the provider should make improvements:

• Continue to ensure that infection control audits highlight areas of concern and ensure these are appropriately actioned.

• Continue to ensure that all staff training files contain up to date evidence of training attended.

• Continue to monitor and improve patient service results into telephone and appointment access.

• Continue to improve the system that identifies patients who are also carers, in order to help ensure that all patients on the practice list who are carers are offered relevant support if required.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice