Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Waterloo Surgery on 29th September 2016. Overall the practice is rated as outstanding.

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 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.
• 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.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice:

• In response to the threat of closure due to staff loses and insecure premises, the practice helped to establish the Millom Alliance. This was a partnership between the practice, other health providers in the area, and patients (represented by the Millom Action Group) which aimed to provide more care services within Millom and to reduce the need for hospital admissions or for patients to have to travel elsewhere to receive care. The practice played a key role in the foundation and operation of the alliance, and worked closely with other services in the area to achieve improvements. Data from the local acute hospital showed that following the formation of the alliance there had been a 16% reduction in ambulance attendances from Millom, non-elective admissions to the hospital from the population were down 8% and outpatient referrals had dropped by 11%.
• In collaboration with the alliance, the practice helped to produce a “GPs for Millom” promotional video which led to the recruitment of three new GPs, and allowed the continuation of the practice. This video won the Local Community Initiative Award at the UK Public Sector Communication Awards.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice