We spoke with six patients. One patient told us, ''People have great confidence in the practice.’’ Another patient identified that ''There are sufficient staff, appointment waiting times are not too bad and access is not too bad.’’

We spoke with six practice staff, including two GP partners and four community professionals who worked in liaison with the practice. The community teams we spoke with identified that practice staff and GP partners had worked with them to meet patients’ needs, although two community professionals reflected on the need for more meetings between the practice and themselves.

We found that good communication and referral pathways existed between the practice and other healthcare professionals. Patients confirmed that their GP had supported them throughout the referral process. We saw that patients had been involved in making decisions about their care and treatment and forums existed to encourage patients to air their views.

Systems and guidance were in place to protect vulnerable adults and children. Staff knew who to approach should a safeguarding event take place.

We saw systems in place to assess and monitor complaints at the practice. We saw that the complaints process had been effective against past complaints and that learning had resulted from them.

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Waterside Medical Centre on 3 and 11 May 2016. The overall rating for this service is outstanding.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was provided to meet those needs in line with current guidance. Staff had the skills and expertise to deliver effective care and treatment to patients, and this was maintained through a programme of continuous development to ensure their skills remained current and up-to-date.
• Information was provided to help patients understand the care available to them. Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. There was an open and transparent approach to reporting and recording these and learning was shared with staff at meetings relevant to their roles and responsibilities.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• A staff briefing newsletter was produced weekly which encouraged staff to complete their online training.
• The practice had a clear vision which had quality and safety as its top priority. Planning was in place to demonstrate the intended development of the services provided by the practice.
• The practice had recognised that 15% of their patients had problems with obesity and associated lifestyle problems. They had participated in a pilot activity project for high risk patients such as those with diabetes, who had suffered a stroke, chronic heart disease or obesity with positive results.
• The practice had initiated weekly journal meetings with all clinicians to ensure that improvements made as a result of the reviews were shared and monitored. Two other local practices joined these meetings to enable wider cross practice learning and information sharing.
• Monthly newsletters were produced for patients with mental health concerns which promoted support services they could access.
• There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels, with involvement in research and engagement in pilot opportunities.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice including:

• The practice worked with Warwickshire College to provide apprenticeships at the practice. The practice had extended their role in becoming an ambassador for apprenticeships working with Health Education England and the National Skills Academy both locally and nationally. This involved taking part in activities to promote the employment of apprentices. Promotional videos had been completed by the practice staff at the academy for this.
• The practice had initiated and produced birthday cards for patients reaching their 40 and 75 birthdays to raise awareness of health checks and remind patients of the benefits of these. The birthday cards had been shared and adopted by other local practices. The practice had performed over 2,500 health checks since the promotion began in late 2013 and records showed that they had maintained the top practice position within the local area since.
• Facilities were available for patients who had hearing impairments. They were routinely given a double appointment; sign language interpreter services were available; the patient call system was audio and visual; and all signs in the reception and waiting area had been produced in Braille.
• The practice had recently devised a practical guide for clinicians on the management of Vitamin D deficiency and shared this with other practices.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice