Archived: Briercliffe Surgery

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

This is a focused desk top review of evidence supplied by Briercliffe Surgery for one area only, governance arrangements within the key question Well-led.

We found the practice to be good in providing Well-led services. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

Briercliffe Surgery was inspected on 17 February 2016. The inspection was a comprehensive inspection under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. At that inspection, the practice was rated ‘good’ overall. However, within the key question Well-led, governance arrangements were identified as ‘requires improvement’, as the practice was not meeting the legislation in place at that time; Regulation 17(1)(2)(d)(f) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

The practice has submitted to CQC, a range of documents which demonstrate they are now meeting the requirements of Regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Briercliffe Surgery on 17 February 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 the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment but records related to staff training, appraisal and professional registration were not maintained accurately or consistently.
• 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.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment but would need to wait if they wished to see a preferred GP. There was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• 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 provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

The areas where the provider must make improvements are:

• Ensure that staff records accurately reflect the current training status, appraisal activity, recruitments checks and registration status for all staff.
• Ensure governance arrangements adequately deal with verbal complaints, risk assessments for the lack of curtains in treatment rooms and ensuring all policies and procedures are updated such as the whistleblowing policy to ensure it contains sufficient information.

In addition the provider should:

• Continue to work on making a preferred GP available for patients.
• Ensure clinical audit activity is supported by a formal schedule or programme.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice