Archived: New Westborough Surgery

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at New Westborough Surgery on 25 November 2015. 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 to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed. Learning from when things went wrong was shared with clinical staff but not widely shared within the practice. People affected by safety incidents were offered an explanation and an apology.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. There were systems for assessing risks including risks associated with medicines, premises, equipment and infection control.

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Clinical audits and reviews were carried out to make improvements to patient care and treatment.

• Staff told us that they had received training appropriate to their roles. Staff files did not always include details of training undertaken. There was a system for staff appraisal. However files we looked at did not include records of staff appraisal.
• 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. Complaints were investigated and responded to appropriately and apologies given to patients when things went wrong or their experienced poor care or services.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP 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.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider should:

• Ensure that learning from significant events and other safety incidents are widely shared across the practice.

• Maintain records in respect of checks undertaken including checks on medicines and emergency equipment.

• Ensure that staff personnel files are reviewed and include documents that reflect training and appraisals undertaken.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice