The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Acorn Practice

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

May Lane Surgery, Dursley, Gloucestershire, GL11 4JN (01453) 540540

Provided and run by:
Acorn Practice

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Acorn Practice on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.

This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.

If you have concerns about Acorn Practice, you can give feedback on this service.

22 November 2019

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about Acorn Practice on 22 November 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.

14 November 2017

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection 26/08/2015 – 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? - Good

As part of our inspection process, we also look at the quality of care for specific population groups. The population groups are rated as:

Older People – Good

People with long-term conditions – Good

Families, children and young people – Good

Working age people (including those recently retired and students – Good

People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable – Good

People experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia) - Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Acorn Practice on 14 November 2017 as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

  • The practice had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
  • The practice employed a care coordinator and made use of social prescribing to provide effective support to frail elderly patients. Social prescribing is a way of linking patients in primary care with sources of support within the community. It provides GPs with a non-medical referral option that can operate alongside existing treatments to improve health and well-being.
  • The practice fully engaged with programmes developed in the local area to support patient’s health and wellbeing in a number of different ways. For example, an art group for cancer survivors.
  • The practice 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 patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
  • Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care when they needed it.
  • Services were tailored to meet the needs of individual patients and delivered in a way that ensured flexibility and choice. For example, the practice worked collaboratively with local practices to set up a travel clinic which was accessible to the entire locality and also delivered a sexual health clinic at the practice for the locality.
  • There was a focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.

We saw two areas of outstanding practice:

  • A GP had undertaken additional training in drug and alcohol misuse in order to better support patients where there was a need. The GP had also become a mentor for others wishing to gain certification for working in substance misuse . The practice ran a substance misuse service for patients registered with them and the adjoining practice. It was the only practice in Gloucestershire to offer this service to patients.The practice worked effectively with specialist workers who also consulted with patients at the practice. Routine screening and vaccination was offered and the practice worked collaboratively with the local pharmacists.
  • Due to the rurality of Dursley, access to family planning clinics was difficult for local residents. A GP from the practice worked with a nurse practitioner employed by the other practice in the building, to deliver a sexual health clinic for the whole locality including patients registered at other practices.

The area where the provider should make improvements:

  • The practice should ensure that actions are taken to improve patient feedback.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

25 August 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Acorn Practice on 25 August 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good. Specifically, we found the practice to be outstanding for providing responsive services. The practice was good for providing safe; effective; caring and well-led services.

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.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
  • 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.
  • The practice worked closely with other organisations to provide services to ensure that services meet people’s 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.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice:

  • The practice used innovative and proactive methods to improve patient outcomes and working with other local providers to share best practice. For example an arts in health project; providing healthy lifestyle sessions at the local school and patient led projects to reorganise community care in order to prevent unnecessary emergency admissions.
  • One GP provided care and prescribed medicines for the local population with substance misuse and provided joint appointments with a local social enterprise to provide specialist and integrated care for patients with substance misuse.
  • The practice shared learning from significant events with other GP practices and partner agencies so action was taken to improve patient safety and share best practice.

However there were areas of practice where the provider should make improvements:

The practice should make sure that the management of medicines and prescription security are proper and safe at all times.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice