This service is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection February 2017 – Good)
The key questions are rated as:
Are services safe? – Good
Are services effective? – Good
Are services caring? – Good
Are services responsive? – Good
Are services well-led? – Outstanding
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at gtd healthcare Head Office on 21 – 22 May 2019 as part of our inspection programme, due to relocation of the head office in June 2018. (The relocation did not affect any of the organisations Out of Hours satellite locations.)
At this inspection we found:
- The service had good systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When they did happen, the service learned from them and improved their processes.
- The service routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
- Staff involved and treated people with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
- Patients were able to access care and treatment from the service within an appropriate timescale for their needs.
- There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
We saw several areas of outstanding practice:
- The service offered all staff a chance every year to bid for innovation funds that would benefit the organisation or the local community. We saw evidence of where this fund had been invested over the year and in the previous four years. For example, a couch to 5K running programme and ‘Gift a Shift’, where staff can take a day off each year to volunteer their services to charity.
- The provider worked collaboratively with external stakeholders on a range of initiatives to improve access to care and patient experience for those who were vulnerable, including work to support and manage frequent callers to the service.
- There were innovative approaches to providing patients with access to care and treatment as an alternative to emergency services. For example, the Alternative To Transfer (ATT) programme and piloting a Virtual Clinical Assessment Service (VCAS).
- There was a strong emphasis on staff wellbeing. Examples of initiatives taken were a Health and Wellbeing Charter being developed with staff, the introduction of Mental Health First Aiders and funding yoga programmes.
Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care.