We carried out an announced inspection at The Charing Medical Partnership on 19 and 20 July 2022. Overall, the practice is rated as Outstanding.
The key questions at this inspection are rated as:
Safe - Good
Effective - Outstanding
Caring - Good
Responsive - Outstanding
Well-led - Outstanding
Following our previous inspection on 10 February 2016, the practice was rated Good overall and for providing safe, effective, responsive and well-led services. The practice was rated Outstanding for providing caring services.
The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Charing Medical Partnership on our website at www.cqc.org.uk
Why we carried out this inspection
This inspection was a comprehensive inspection as the practice had not been inspected since February 2016.
How we carried out the inspection
Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, taking into account the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections differently.
This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements.
This included:
- Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing
- Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system and discussing findings with the provider
- Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider
- Requesting evidence from the provider
- A short site visit
Our findings
We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:
- what we found when we inspected
- information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
- information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.
We have rated this practice as Outstanding overall
We found that:
- The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
- Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
- Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
- The practice adjusted how it delivered services to meet the needs of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
- The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.
- Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. All opportunities for learning from internal and external incidents were maximised.
- Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
- The practice used innovative and proactive methods to improve patient outcomes, working with other local providers and the surrounding community to share and deliver best practice. There was a wide range of services, clinical and non-clinical that recognised that a patient’s emotional and social needs were as important as their physical needs.
- 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.
- In response to patient feedback the practice had implemented a new GP led triaging system to ensure patients, urgent and non-urgent, were referred appropriately and efficiently to the most suitable health care professional.
- There were systems to promote continuity of care, with urgent appointments available on 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 which promoted teaching, training and development opportunities for staff and trainee GPs.
- The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback from patients and from the patient participation group.
- The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.
We saw several areas of outstanding practice:
- There was a proactive approach to anticipating and managing risks to people who use the service which was embedded and recognised as all staffs responsibility. The whole team were engaged in reviewing and improving safety and safeguarding systems.
- The practice was innovative and utilised the skills of GPs with special interests to reduce referrals to secondary health care providers for orthopaedic conditions and minor surgery.
- The practice recognised that patient’s emotional and social needs were as important as their physical needs by supporting a range of activities including gardening, walking and support groups.
Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.
Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA
Chief Inspector of Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services