Archived: The Surgery

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Surgery on 22 February 2017. Overall the practice is rated as good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led care for all of the population groups it serves.

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

• The ethos and culture of the practice was to provide good quality service and care to patients.

• Patients told us they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in care and decisions about their treatment.

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.

• The practice was able to meet the needs of patients. Information regarding the services provided by the practice and how to make a complaint was readily available for patients.

• Patients reported they were positive about access to the service. They said they found it generally easy to make an appointment, there was continuity of care and urgent appointments were available on the same day as requested.

• The practice of, and complied with, the requirements of the duty of candour. (The duty of candour is a set of specific legal requirements that providers of services must follow when things go wrong with care and treatment.)

• The organisation a culture of openness and honesty which was reflected in their approach to safety.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

• There were comprehensive safeguarding systems in place; particularly around vulnerable children and adults.

• The practice sought patient views how improvements could be made to the service, through the use of patient surveys and the NHS Friends and Family Test.

• There was a clear leadership structure, s

• The organisation was forward thinking, aware of future challenges to the practice and were open to innovative practice.

The areas of practice where the provider should make improvements are:

• Undertake the fire evacuation drill that has already been planned as a priority

• Take steps to develop a Patient Participation Group for the surgery and consider using their experience and resources in the further development of the surgery.

• Continue to improve the identification of carers to assure themselves that they are identifying them effectively and are able to offer them appropriate support.

• Continue to engage with commissioners regarding the limitations of the premises and as far as practicable take reasonable steps to resolve these.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice