Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The New Hall Lane Practice on 15 December 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.
• 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they could make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, although these appointments may not be available at short notice. We saw urgent appointments were 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.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

There were some areas where the practice SHOULD make improvements. The practice should:

• Continue to refer safeguarding queries to safeguarding teams, even though these are flagged up immediately to health visitors and midwives.

• Review levels of phone traffic to the practice to enable implementation of an improved phone system to address problems in this area.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice