Archived: Branston and Heighington Family Practice

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Branston and Heighington Family Practice on 29 January 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, responsive, caring, effective services and for being well led.

We looked at patient care across the following population groups: Older people; those with long term conditions; families, children and young people; working age people(including those recently retired and students); people in vulnerable circumstances who may have poor access to primary care; and people experiencing poor mental health.

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed, including those relating to recruitment checks.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
• 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 were able to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice was equipped to treat patients and meet their needs, although we acknowledge that the restricted space available made the provision of further services difficult.
• 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.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider should;

• Ensure that any learning from significant events and complaints is recorded and cascaded to staff to help prevent re-occurrence.
• Establish a regular schedule of meetings for all staff at the practice.
• Improve access to the service for working age patients by offering extended opening times.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice