Archived: Park Grange Medical Centre

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Park Grange Medical Centre on 17 March 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 in place for reporting, recording and reviewing significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

• 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.
• 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. We saw evidence that the people affected received reasonable support and a verbal and written apology where necessary.
• Patients said that when they made an appointment it was convenient and that 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. The practice had begun an extension and refurbishment of the building.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff, patients and the patient participation group (PPG) which it acted on.
• We observed that for some staff recruitment checks had not been undertaken prior to their employment.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

We saw areas of outstanding practice:

Diabetic patients were offered a proactive health and medication review prior to the month of Ramadan (this is ninth month of the Islamic calendar and Muslims traditionally fast during daylight hours). The practice aimed to assist patients to fast whilst maintaining control of their condition. Additional smoking cessation clinics were also held at this time.

The practice would contact people the day before an arranged review to remind them of this. They would then contact them an hour before they were due to attend the review, this had reduced the number of people who did not attend appointments and increased attendance at appointments. The practice could then offer appointments that were no longer needed to other patients.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice