Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Weoley Park Surgery on 6 September 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 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 appropriate 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 had an active patient participation group which influenced practice development.

• There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels.

• The practice team was forward thinking and part of local pilot schemes to improve outcomes for patients in the area.

• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

  We saw one area of outstanding practice:

• There was a highly active, motivated and engaged patient participation group (PPG) in place which met regularly every six to eight weeks. The PPG had repeatedly engaged with patients which included carrying out detailed and comprehensive surveys. There were many examples of where the PPG had engaged with the practice and contributed to positive improvements within the previous 12 months, including helping to design the practice premises from a patient perspective, designing and maintaining the practice website with the aim of making it easier to use and navigate for patients, and working with the practice to set up an on-site programme of regular sessions run by external organisations to support patients.

However, there was an area of practice where the provider should make improvements:

• The practice should take steps to increase the number of health checks carried out for patients registered as having a learning disability.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice