Runcorn GP practice is rated as Outstanding by the Care Quality Commission

The Care Quality Commission has found the quality of care provided by the Brookvale Practice in Runcorn to be Outstanding following an inspection carried out in September 2015.

Inspectors rated the practice as Outstanding for effectiveness, responsiveness and caring and Good for safety and well-led. Overall, the practice was rated as outstanding. A full report of the inspection has been published today.

Under CQC’s 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 the Brookvale Practice highlights a number of areas of outstanding practice including:

• The practice had signed up for the Safe in Town scheme and provided a safe haven for vulnerable people (vulnerable people were able to come to the practice and the person’s carers would be contacted). In 2014 the practice was awarded a grant to develop a community garden at the practice. Patients worked to create the garden which provided exercise and reduced social isolation.
• The practice had a very good skill mix which included two nurse clinicians and a nurse practitioner who were able to see a broader range of patients than the practice nurses. In addition the practice had four practice nurses and a health care assistant which allowed for greater capacity for monitoring and reviewing patients’ health.
• Longer appointments available for people with a learning disability and Saturday morning clinics were offered to patients with a learning disability to encourage attendance
• The practice referred patients to Wellbeing Enterprise Services, a social enterprise to support people to achieve happier, healthier and longer lives. Patients could be referred for support with a number of issues, including, debt management, housing, social isolation. A report from this service showed that patients who were referred by the practice benefitted from the interventions provided.

Sue McMillan CQC’s Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice in the North says:

“It is clear this is a well organised practice. Patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment. Information was provided to help patients understand the care available to them.

“In addition, the practice listened - it implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback from patients and from the Patient Participation Group (PPG).

“The manner in which the practice promotes patient well-being is to be applauded. Information sessions on mammography and body mass index – to help learn about obesity were regularly held and well attended. Consequently we were able to see a rise in the number of annual health checks, from 253 to 478.

“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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