Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We inspected Upwell Health Centre on 10 March 2015 as part of our comprehensive inspection programme. Upwell Health Centre is located in a building which is shared with a separate pharmacy and dentist and serves a population of approximately 9400. The overall rating for this practice is good. We found the practice was good in each of the domains safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. We found the practice provided good care to older patients, patients with long term conditions, patients in vulnerable circumstances, families, children and young patients, working age patients and patients experiencing poor mental health. Our key findings were as follows:

• 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.
• Staff took account of changes in national guidance when planning patient care.
• Staff had access to training to update their skills.
• Practice staff provided proactive and tailored services to vulnerable patients
• The practice had a robust governance structure in place with a designated quality lead, alongside a range of different regular meetings for staff.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. Three members of staff had been developed and promoted internally to lead role positions.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider should:

• Improve the arrangements for the security of blanks prescription forms
• Improve the security of the storage of vaccines.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice