Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Wellington Road Surgery on 7 September 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• Each GP had their own individual patient list, which enabled continuity of care and the development of the doctor / patient relationship.
• Patients who met the criteria (who lived further than a mile away from the nearest pharmacy) were able to have their prescriptions dispensed at the practice
• 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 told us they were satisfied with the care provided by the practice and said their dignity and privacy was respected. They told us that they were able to get appointments when they needed them.
• 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.
• 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 are areas of practice where the provider should make improvements.

The provider should:

• Consider introducing a system to monitor the collection of prescriptions for controlled drugs.
• Ensure all GPs complete their mandatory training, including training on infection prevention and control.
• Continue with the development of a patient participation group.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We reviewed the information available to us about Wellington Road Surgery on 21 May 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.