England’s Chief Inspector of General Practice has taken a Brighton GP surgery out of special measures following improvements in the quality of its services.
Broadway Surgery in Whitehawk Road, Brighton had been rated Inadequate during an inspection in February 2016, when the practice was placed into special measures.
During the latest inspection in October 2016, a specialist team of inspectors found that the practice had improved in all five key areas. The overall rating for the practice has moved from Inadequate to Good. The practice was rated as Good for being safe, effective, caring, well-led and Requires Improvement for being responsive to people’s needs.
The full report of the inspection has been published.
After the inspection in February 2016, the practice put an action plan in place to make sustainable improvements to the areas of concern which CQC had outlined, and to make sure that regulations were met.
Inspectors found that staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment. This included up to date training on basic life support, safeguarding, infection control and the role of the chaperone.
There was now an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events. Inspectors saw evidence these were investigated and that learning was shared with staff
An active patient participation group had been established and the practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
A clear leadership structure was now in place and staff felt supported by management.
Professor Steve Field, Chief Inspector of General Practice, said:
"It is clear that the Broadway Surgery has made some real improvements since our previous inspection, in February 2016, where we identified serious concerns relating to the safe delivery of services and leadership of the practice.
"The practice is now providing a safe, caring and effective service. I am pleased to announce that the practice will come out of special measures and I congratulate them on the progress that they have made.”
Ruth Rankine, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice for the South of England, said:
“During our recent inspection in October, we found the practice had strived to made significant improvements in all areas. The action had been taken to identify, assess and manage risks to patients has reaped great benefits with a significant increase in patient satisfaction.
“It has taken a lot of hard work and strong commitment from all practice staff to deliver improved services which will have resulted in higher standards of care for their patients. There is still work to do but, the practice should be very proud of the work done to date.”
Ends
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It has taken a lot of hard work and strong commitment from all practice staff to deliver improved services which will have resulted in higher standards of care for their patients.
Ruth Rankine, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice