England’s Chief Inspector of General Practice has found the quality of services provided by Collingwood Surgery, in North Shields, Tyne and Wear, to be Outstanding following an inspection by the Care Quality Commission.
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.
A full report of the inspection has been published.
Alison Holbourn, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice said:
"It is clear that Collingwood Surgery is providing a responsive and well-led service which is an asset to people living in North Shields. To get rated as Outstanding is a real achievement.
“We saw a forward thinking practice that was very responsive to the needs of people using their services. They understood the needs of their population and implemented initiatives to ensure they were being met.
“It was very impressive to see the end of life care arrangements that the practice had developed over many years, and these plans were well promoted to staff that knew how to use them. They were also part of a pilot to link patients on the palliative care register to a MacMillan social worker. This project was so successful that it was rolled out to all practices within the CCG area.
“I was also impressed with the work that Collingwood Surgery was doing for patients experiencing poor mental health. The practice helped to fund a mental health worker who worked full time within the surgery ensuring that 95% of patients with mental health problems were seen within the practice rather than in secondary care.
“This is a great example of what outstanding care looks like.”
Inspectors found several areas of good practice.
The practice team was forward thinking and part of local and national pilot schemes to improve outcomes for patients. For example, the practice took part in the first phase of the national Health Foundation’s MAGIC programme (‘making good decisions in collaboration’), which looked at how to embed best practice in shared decision making.
Patients said they were able to get an appointment with a GP when they needed one, with urgent appointments available the same day. Results from the National GP Patient Survey, published in July 2016, showed that patients’ satisfaction with how they could access care and treatment was much higher than local and national averages
The practice had a long track record of training new GPs and feedback from trainees was very positive. The practice scored highly in the General Medical Council (GMC)’s national training scheme survey for 2015.
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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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It was very impressive to see the end of life care arrangements that the practice had developed over many years.
Alison Holbourn, Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice