24 and 30 November 2015
During a routine inspection
Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Eden Medical Group on 24 and 30 November 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.
Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:
- There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
- Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
- Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
- Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
- Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
- The practice had made improvements to make it easier for patients to get through to the practice by phone and make an appointment. Urgent appointments were available the same day.
- The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
- There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
- The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.
We saw one area of outstanding practice:
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The practice had implemented strong arrangements for managing the performance of staff. We saw all staff had a folder which included their core objectives, personal development plan and all the standards associated with their role. This helped to ensure staff were aware of what was expected of them and had ready access to guidance related to the tasks and duties they were responsible for. The approach focused on skills identification to ensure the practice had the right staff in place with the right skills. This helped ensure a sustainable future for the practice.
The areas where the provider should improvement are:
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Assess and review the arrangements in place for the practice to meet the needs of patients with hearing impairment; to ensure they have good access to the practice and its services.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice