Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Greyswood practice on 20 March 2015.

We found the practice to be good for providing safe, effective, and caring services. It was also good for providing services for the population groups we report on: older people, people with long term conditions, the working age people including those recently retired and students, people in vulnerable circumstances and people experiencing poor mental health. We also found the practice to be outstanding for providing responsive and well-led services. It was also outstanding for providing services for the population groups we report on: families, children and young people.

Our key inspection findings were as follows:

• There were systems in place for reporting, recording and monitoring significant events to help provide improved care.

• Staff were clear of their roles in regards to monitoring and reporting of incidents, safeguarding vulnerable people and children, and following infection prevention and control guidelines.

• Staff shared best practice through internal arrangements and meetings and also by sharing knowledge and expertise with external consultants and other GP practices.

• There was a strong multidisciplinary input in the service delivery to improve patient outcomes.

• Feedback from patients about their care and treatment was very positive.

• The practice was responsive to the needs of vulnerable patients and there was a strong focus on caring and on the provision of patient-centred care.

• The practice provided patients with information on health promotion and ill health prevention services available in the practice and the local community.

• The practice has a clear vision and strategic direction which was to improve the health, well-being and lives of those that they care for at the practice. Staff were suitably supported and patient care and safety was a high priority.

We saw examples of the practice being outstanding in how they responded to the needs of children, people with long-term conditions and those experiencing poor mental health:

• A practice led initiative had been put in place to send birthday cards to all patients registered with the practice aged one to three years of age. The birthday cards were used to inform parents, carers and families to the long term benefits and recommended uptake of immunisations. Cards with the same information were also sent to all new born patients and their mothers. The practice were able to demonstrate improvement in areas such as Improved immunisations for example the practice level for the pre-school booster improved from below 50% in 2011 to 93% in the last quarter of 2014 and continues at this level into 2015.

• The practice was taking part in the local PACT (Planning All Care Together) initiative where community healthcare and social services work as one. The aim of the initiative is to help people with long-term conditions live more independent lives and to prevent complications. High-risk patients were identified using an assessment tool and were seen by both a nurse and a GP. From April 2014 to January 2015 the practice had completed around 350 of these appointments, over 100 being home visits.

• The practice worked closely with relevant professionals in order to provide a responsive service to people experiencing poor mental health. For example, the practice held meetings with the area consultant psychiatrist quarterly to review all patients on the practice mental health register.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice