12 May 2015
During a routine inspection
Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Richmond House Tuesday 12 May 2015.
Overall the practice is rated as good. It was also rated good for providing services for the six population groups.
Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:
There was a track record and a culture of promptly responding to incidents, near misses and complaints and using these events to learn and change systems so that patient care could be improved.
Staff were aware of their responsibilities in regard to consent, safeguarding and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).
The practice was clean and tidy and there were infection control procedures in place.
Medicines were generally managed well at the practice and there were effective systems in place to deal with emergencies.
The GPs and other clinical staff were knowledgeable about how the decisions they made improved clinical outcomes for patients and kept patient care plans under review.
Data outcomes for patients were either equal to or above the average locally.
Patients were complimentary about the staff and how their medical conditions were managed.
Practice staff were professional and respectful when providing care and treatment.
The practice planned its services to meet the diversity of its patients. Adjustments were made to meet the needs of the patients and there was an effective appointment system in place which enabled a good access to the service.
There were clear recruitment processes in place. There were robust induction processes in place for all staff.
The practice had a vision and mission statement which were understood by staff.
There was a leadership structure in place and staff felt supported by the practice manager and each other.
However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements
The provider should:
- Consider introducing arrangements or assessments to plan for the risk of sudden staff changes or to cover staff absence, including nursing and administrative staff.
- Consider ways of improving awareness of screening opportunities for chlamydia.
- Introduce a programme of internal appraisal and support for the practice manager.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice