11 March 2015
During a routine inspection
Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Woodside Surgery on 11 March 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.
Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, well-led, effective, caring and responsive services. It was also good for providing services for all population groups.
Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:
- 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.
- 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 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 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 the 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:
- Carry out a risk assessment for GPs not carrying emergency medicines in their GP home visit bags.
- Ensure that the practice’s whistleblowing policy includes reference to Care Quality Commission (CQC) & NHS England (NHSE) to ensure staff are aware of all agencies they could contact.
- Ensure that all carers are identified on the records system to ensure appropriate information, advice and support for them.
- Carry out appraisals for all staff
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice