Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Wychbury on 16 August 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• Governance and performance management arrangements were well managed and proactively reviewed to reflect best practice. The practice was proactive in identifying and managing significant events. All opportunities for learning from internal and external incidents were maximised.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems, processes and practices in place to keep people safe and safeguarded from abuse.

• There was a structured programme of continuous clinical and internal audit which were often initiated as a result of national patient safety alerts, significant events and incidents.

• The practice team was forward thinking and was involved in a number of clinical research studies and proactively engaged in local projects and initiatives. In addition to clinical projects the practice was exploring the use of modern technology to streamline administration tasks.

• There was a strong multidisciplinary approach to patient care. The team met frequently and engaged well with other services through a programme of multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings, admission avoidance meetings and had also formed specific psychiatry and paediatric MDT meetings.

• Patients could access appointments and services in a way and at a time that suited them. Patients were given the option of a preferred practice location and they could also access services across the three sites including cervical screening, minor surgery and phlebotomy.

• The practice offered a choice of extended hours at two of their practice sites to suit their working age population. Additionally, one of the GPs operated a morning and afternoon telephone triage service and rotated around the three practice sites for patients who needed to be seen urgently.

• We observed the premises for the Wychbury Medical Centre to be visibly clean and tidy. We found that some areas of the Cradley Road branch surgery were moderately run down however there were plans in place to refurbish the premises which were due to start within the next three months

• The practice had a large patient participation group (PPG) consisting of 202 members which influenced practice development and was actively promoting the Pharmacy First Scheme in the local area.

• Notices in the patient waiting room told patients how to access a number of support groups and organisations. There was also a practice library in place for patients to borrow books on a wide range of health topics.

• We saw that staff were friendly and helpful and treated patients with kindness and respect. Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.

• Staff spoken with demonstrated a commitment to providing a high quality service to patients.

We saw an area of outstanding practice:

• The practice operated a number of out-reach services including a consultant led Uro-gynaecology clinic. Practice data highlighted active use of the service which provided convenience for patients and effective referrals to secondary care.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice