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

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has found the quality of care provided by Brown Clee Medical Centre to be Outstanding following an inspection carried out in June 2015.

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

Brown Clee Medical Centre is comprised of two locations – the main practice at Ditton Priors, Bridgnorth and a branch location in Stottesdon. It is part of the NHS Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group. The total practice patient population is 3,300. The practice has a higher proportion of patients aged 65 years and above (33.6%) which is higher than the practice average across England (26.5%).

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 Brown Clee Medical Centre highlights a number of areas of outstanding practice, including:

• The practice had increased the flexibility of access to appointments and could demonstrate the impact of this by reduced use of accident and emergency facilities and the out-of-hours service, and positive patient survey results.
• The practice had reached out to the local community by supporting people with learning disabilities who attended a local farm and a children’s adventure group. The practice also supported the local church by delivering food bank packages.
• The practice funded and facilitated a walking for health group at the local village hall.
• The practice funded physiotherapy, chiropody, a meditation group for mindfulness sessions and a counsellor for its registered population.
• The practice provided weekly comfort visits as well as appointments and home visits to patients residing at three local care homes.
• The practice worked with the local CCG in accepting patients who may be experiencing difficulties in registering with other practices for a variety of reasons whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.

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

“It is clear Brown Clee Medical Centre is providing an effective, responsive and well led service which is a real asset to the people living in this part of Shropshire.

“Feedback from patients and clinical teams was excellent and staff went above and beyond their level of duty to care for patients. The practice also had a positive working atmosphere and was committed to continuing to improve services for its patients.

“We found many positive examples to demonstrate how patients’ choices and preferences were valued and acted on. Views of external stakeholders were very positive and aligned with our findings.

“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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