Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Queen Square Medical Practice on 18 November 2015. 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. Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day. The practice offered a telephone call back service.
- Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment. The practice had a strong commitment to supporting staff training and development.
- Feedback from patients about their care was consistently and strongly positive. Patients described the GP practice as excellent; staff were described as caring and professional.
- The practice worked closely with other organisations and with the local community in planning how services were provided to ensure they met people’s needs.
- Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
- 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 practice was a research practice, employed a team of nurses specifically for this role, and was actively involved in a range of different research studies. The aim of these studies was to identify new or to improve current treatments.
We saw areas of outstanding practice:
- Working closely with specialists from University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) the practice provided an enhance fertility service for all NHS patients registered in the Lancashire North Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) geographical area. This enabled patients living in the area to have local monitoring and treatment without having to travel for four hours or more to and from Manchester. Patients were taught how to self-inject hormone treatments as required.
- The practice also provided rooms free of charge to a local charity A.C.E. to support young people with their mental health and wellbeing needs.
- The practice registered and treated all the students who had complex health care needs such as cerebral palsy and associated health conditions and who lived at a local residential further education college. This enabled the practice and the college to have effective working relationships, and reassured parents of the students. Students benefited from continuity of care.
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
- Ensure that the practice policies and protocols are reviewed, kept up to date and if required strengthened to provide clarity for staff and consistency in approach to patient services. For example, the receipt of test results protocol, the use of Choose and Book service and the monitoring of medicines held in GP bags.
- Develop practice policies for the duty of candour and the receipt and storage of prescription paper.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice