Archived: The Surgery Chorley

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Surgery Chorley on 12 July 2017.

The practice had undergone changes in its registration and the current GP partnership took over the leadership and management at the practice in April 2016. However the data referred to in this report for the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) refers to data collected and collated between April 2015 and March 2016. This was a period of significant change at the practice.

Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• The practice had strong and visible clinical and managerial leadership and governance arrangements.
• The practice had undergone a period of change which had resulted in improved services for patients. The practice had a strong vision, which put working with patients to ensure high quality care and treatment as its top priority.
• The strategy to deliver this vision had been produced with stakeholders and was regularly reviewed and discussed with staff.
• The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise risks to patient safety.
• The practice was committed to evidence based practice to improve the quality of care and treatment. Clinical auditing was based on up to date guidance and research to reflect innovation and the changing clinical needs of patients.
• Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients we spoke with said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care.
• The practice had an online patient participation group (PPG) and plans were in place to develop this further to promote and encourage patient participation in the ongoing development and improvement of the practice.
• The practice was aware of the shortfalls in the building and facilities and had taken action to try to improve these.
• The GP was aware of the requirements of the duty of candour. Examples we reviewed showed the practice complied with these requirements.

An area where the provider should make improvement is:

• Continue to identify and support patients who are also carers

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice