Cambridgeshire GP surgery is rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has found the quality of care provided by Firs House Surgery to be Outstanding following an inspection carried out in June 2015.

Inspectors found that the practice was providing an integrated, caring, effective, responsive and well-led service that meets the needs of the population it serves.

A full report of the inspection has been published today.

Under CQC’s new programme of inspections, all England’s GP practices are being given a rating according to whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led.

The report on Firs House Surgery highlights a number of areas of outstanding practice, including:

• The practice offered a wide range of specialised clinics and had reached out to the local community to promote better health. This included churches, community groups and schools.
• The practice had identified 500 patients where there were clinical indications to offer medication to reduce cholesterol. They carried out a clinical trial offering these patients extended appointments to explain the benefits and risks from that medication. The results of this trial are awaiting publication.
• The practice has an engaged and active patient participation group (PPG) with over 800 members participating remotely, as well as regular face to face engagement. Inspectors saw examples of the PPG being able to influence practice behaviour to benefit patients and organise health promotion events.

Janet Williamson, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice and Dentistry in CQC’s Central region said:

“It is clear Firs House Surgery is providing an effective, responsive and well led service which is a real asset to the people living in this part of Cambridgeshire.

“The practice has a clear vision which had quality and safety as its top priority. A business plan was in place, was monitored and regularly reviewed and discussed with all staff.

“Feedback from patients is outstanding, evidenced by their 800 strong patient participant group. The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback.

“I was also particularly impressed with the outstanding way in which the service provided services for the elderly, people with long term conditions, families, working age people, people who had conditions that may make them vulnerable and people experiencing poor mental health.

“All of this hard work pays off in making a real difference to patients – which is why we have found this practice to be Outstanding.”

Ends

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