Grove Road Surgery

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Grove Road Surgery on 15 December 2015. 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 in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Patients were treated with care, compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. They were not rushed at appointments and full explanations of their treatment were given. They valued their practice and felt confident with the skills and abilities of staff.
• We observed a strong patient-centred culture.
• The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on. For example installing a patient lift in the new building.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with routine and urgent appointments available the same day.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

We saw an area of outstanding practice:

• The practice staff worked well as a team delivered a high standard of care and put patients first. There was continuity in care and individuality with patients being well known to the practice. There was an exceptionally high level of patient satisfaction with the care given. Patients we spoke with, comment cards and data from patient surveys reviewed confirmed a high level of satisfaction with the care given by the practice staff. The practice was rated as the best for patient satisfaction in the North West. Staff demonstrated they were motivated and inspired to offer kind and compassionate care.

There were areas where the provider could make improvements and they should:

• Carry out water temperature checks in line with recommendations following the Legionella risk assessment.

• Update and publicise information for patients in respect of out of hour’s services and how to access them.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice