Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at the Fairfields Practice on 4 November 2014. The practice operates from the Mary Potter Centre, Gregory Boulevard, Hyson Green, Nottingham NG7 5HY.

This practice has an overall rating of good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services. It was also good for providing services for older people; people with long-term conditions; families, children and young people; working age people (including the recently retired); people living in vulnerable circumstances; and people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).

• 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.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• The practice was positive in promoting good health and encouraging patients to lead healthier lifestyles. For example several GPs had been involved in recognised research projects (practice and cluster service designs for the entire population). This had led to heavy smokers having had spirometry to screen for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Earlier diagnosis supported patients to get the advice and treatment they needed to manage their health and wellbeing.
• 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 that 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.
• 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.
• Staff recognised and respected the totality of patient’s needs. There was a proactive approach to understanding the needs of different groups of patients and delivering care in a way that met those needs and promoted equality. For example the practice had made sure that interpreters had been present in the practice to assist patients whose first language was not English to complete the patient satisfaction surveys.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice