Archived: Colwall Surgery

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Colwall Surgery on 10 January 2017. The overall rating for this service is good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• The practice was aware of and provided services according to the needs of their patient population.
• There were processes and procedures to keep patients safe. This included a system for reporting and recording significant events, keeping these under review and sharing learning where this occurred.
• The practice was aware of the requirements of the duty of candour and systems were ensured compliance with this.
• Patients told us they were treated with dignity and respect and that they were fully involved in decisions about their care and treatment.
• Advanced care planning and annual health checks were carried out for patients with dementia and poor mental health with significantly higher than national average results.
• Regular meetings and discussions were held with staff and multi-disciplinary teams to ensure that patients received the best care and treatment in a coordinated way.
• The practice had an active Patient Liaison Group (PLG). The PLG was proactive in representing patients and assisting the practice in making improvements to the services provided.
• Staff received regular training and skill updates to ensure they had the appropriate skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Patients told us that they knew how to complain if they needed to.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff told us they felt supported by management.
• There was a culture of openness and accountability.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice