The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has found the quality of care provided by Dr CR Daltons’ Practice to be Outstanding following an inspection in August this year.
This is a real achievement and a fantastic resource for the people of Darwen, to have on their doorstep.
Under CQC’s programme of inspections, all of England’s GP practices are given a rating in five key areas, are they; safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led. The services provided by Dr CR Daltons’ Practice based at the Darwen Health Centre have been rated as Outstanding overall.
A full report of the inspection has been published.
Alison Holbourn, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice said:
"It is clear that Dr CR Daltons’ Practice is providing a safe, caring, and responsive service which is a real asset to the people living in this part of Darwen. To get rated as Outstanding is a real achievement.
“We saw a practice that put the patient first, and used innovation to make sure they were receiving the best and most effective care possible.
“This was reflected in what patients told us. People praised the practice highly and told us that they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect as well as being involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
Staff were well trained for their roles and we found a good culture of continuous learning and improvement.
“It was also impressive to see how flexible the practice was to the needs of patients. They tailored their staffing and structure to provide the best service possible for patients rather than what was convenient for them.
“This is a great example of what outstanding care looks like.”
CQC found several areas of outstanding practice on this inspection.
- The practice conducted audits regularly to ensure best practice was being followed.
- Inspectors found a reflective practice that maximised learning, and this culture was thoroughly embedded. The practice was proactive in maximising learning following complaints and incidents. Inspectors saw that not only was appropriate action taken against an incident being repeated, but that the opportunity was taken to scrutinise that aspect of the service and assess whether further improvements could be made. For example, following a complaint regarding a delayed issue of a death certificate, the administration protocol for such an event updated to reduce any reoccurrence, processes around end of life care were examined and the practice produced a bereavement pack to ensure improved care and advice was offered to families who had suffered a bereavement.
- The practice increased the number of pre-diabetic patients identified from 83 in June 2015, to 325 in June 2016. When these pre-diabetic patients had clinical tests repeated following their identification, 66% of them showed a reduced risk of developing diabetes as a result of the lifestyle advice the practice had given to them.
Professor Steve Field, Chief Inspector of General Practice said:
“The GPs and staff at Dr CR Daltons’ Practice have demonstrated a real commitment to their patients and I am delighted to highlight the exceptional service they are providing.”
Ends
For further information please contact CQC Regional Engagement Officer Kerri James by email kerri.james@cqc.org.uk or by phone on 07464 92 9966.
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A practice that put the patient first, and used innovation to make sure they were receiving the best and most effective care possible.
Alison Holbourn, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice