10 February 2015
During a routine inspection
Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We completed a comprehensive inspection at The Dovecote Surgery on 10 February 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.
We found that the practice was good for providing a safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led service. We found the practice provided good care to people with long term conditions, families, children and young people, older people, people in vulnerable groups and people experiencing poor mental health.
Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:
- Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. All opportunities for learning from incidents were maximised.
- Patients were protected from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm. The staff we spoke with understood their roles and responsibilities and there were policies and procedures in place for safeguarding vulnerable adults and children.
- Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. Information was provided to help patients understand the care available to them.
- Patients received care and treatment which achieved good outcomes, promoted a good quality of life and was based on the best available evidence. Systems were in place to review the care needs of those patients with complex needs or those in vulnerable circumstances.
- The practice worked collaboratively with other agencies and regularly shared information to ensure good, timely communication of changes in patients care and treatment.
- The practice had a clear vision to deliver high quality care and promote good outcomes for patients. This was evident when speaking with staff and patients during our inspection. There was a clear leadership structure with named staff in lead roles. Staff were aware who they should speak with if they needed guidance or advice. Staff reported that they worked well as a team and could approach the practice manager or GPs if they needed to discuss anything.
However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.
Importantly the provider should:
- Implement systems to identify patients at the practice with caring responsibilities including young patients with caring responsibilities.
- Implement robust systems to identify and manage risks to patients and others who use the service regarding the premises, including a fire risk assessment.
- Ensure equipment such as oxygen is available to deal with a medical emergency or provide an assessment of risk to demonstrate why this equipment is not required.
- Provide evidence to demonstrate that a legionella risk assessment has been carried out to identify all risks and ensure that the practice is managing any risks identified.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice