Archived: Priorslegh Medical Centre

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Priorslegh Medical Centre on 28 September 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good. Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. Significant events had been investigated and action had been taken as a result of the learning from events.

• Systems were in place to deal with medical emergencies and all staff were trained in basic life support.

• There were systems in place to reduce risks to patient safety. For example, infection control practices were good and there were regular checks on the environment and on equipment used.

• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance.

• Feedback from patients about the care and treatment they received from clinicians was very positive. Patients told us they were treated with dignity and respect and they were involved in decisions about their care and treatment.

• Data showed that outcomes for patients at this practice were comparable to those of patients locally and nationally.

• Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.

• The appointments system was flexible to accommodate the needs of patients. Urgent appointments were available the same day and routine appointments could be booked in advance.

• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment and there was good continuity of care.

• The practice had good facilities, including disabled access. It was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.

• Information about services and how to complain was available. Complaints had been investigated and responded to in a timely manner.

• The practice had a clear vision to provide a safe and high quality service.

• There was a clear leadership and staff structure and staff understood their roles and responsibilities.

• The practice provided a range of enhanced services to meet the needs of the local population.

• The practice sought patient views about improvements that could be made to the service. This included the practice having and consulting with a patient participation group (PPG).

We saw areas of outstanding practice:

• The practice provided an in house physiotherapy service which resulted in patients receiving timely support and in fewer patients requiring referral to secondary care.

• A care co-ordinator role had been established. This involved proactively contacting patients or their families to support and co-ordinate patient care between services. We saw examples of the effectiveness of this service and the outcomes for patients.

• One of the practice nurses worked with the local authority to provide health education sessions to children and young people at a local school.

Areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• For audit purposes, the practice should consider introducing read coding when chaperoning has been offered or provided to patients.

• A review of the decision not to carry emergency medicines on home visits should be carried out and a risk assessment should be in place to support this.

• The practice should review and update information provided to patients about the complaints process.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice