The Care Quality Commission
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Archived: Old School Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

The Old School Surgery, Rectory Fields, Cranbrook, Kent, TN17 3JB (01580) 712476

Provided and run by:
Old School Surgery

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

19 May 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Old School Surgery on 19 May 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system for reporting and recording significant events.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. However, the practice did not have a defibrillator to use in the event of a medical emergency. There was no risk assessment to show that the practice had access to a defibrillator located within a mile of the practice.
  • Feedback from patients about their care was consistently positive.
  • The practice worked closely with other organisations and with the local community in planning how services were provided to ensure that they meet patients’ needs. For example in their professional interactions with the local boarding school.
  • Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
  • Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and 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 management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
  • The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

  • The practice provided services to a local refugee centre, which accommodated approximately 40 male patients aged under 18 years. The GPs held weekly clinics at the centre, with the support of interpreters. Where patients were in need of longer term medical attention, the GPs work closely with the staff from the centre, to ensure the patients remained there until courses of treatment had been completed.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

  • Revise the system that identifies patients who are also carers to help ensure that all patients on the practice list who are carers are offered relevant support if required.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

3 December 2013

During a routine inspection

Patients who used the surgery told us they were happy with the appointment system. One person told us: "We are very lucky and all appreciate what we have got. It is easy enough to get an appointment any time'.

We saw that, on arrival for an appointment, the receptionist greeted patients by their names as they registered their attendance so that clinical staff knew they were there.

Patients told us the staff treated them respectfully and were helpful. We saw that staff spoke politely to patients and consultations were carried out in private treatment rooms. One patient told us "Staff are always nice." Another patient told us 'They give you all the time in the world, we can't fault them. They are like family friends, they are the best of the bunch'.

Information was clearly displayed for people, including health promotion, access to support services and information about the practice and the services provided.

We found evidence that staff had received regular training, supervision and appraisals.One member of staff told us they felt the surgery was "Very democratic and very supportive to work for."

We looked at the quality monitoring systems used within the surgery. We found these to be effective, with evidence of learning from areas identified through audit and monitoring. For example, the surgery held frequent meetings with staff and other health care providers. The surgery had complaints policies and procedures in place to deal appropriately with any issues raised.