We carried out an announced focused inspection at Litchdon Medical Centre on 5 November 2019 as part of our inspection programme.
We carried out an inspection of this service following our annual review of the information available to us including information provided by the practice. Our review indicated that there may have been a significant change to the quality of care provided since the last inspection. This inspection focused on the following key questions: Effective and Well Led.
Because of the assurance received from our review of information we carried forward the ratings for the following key questions from our previous inspection in 2015: Safe (Good), Caring (Good) and Responsive (Outstanding). We have rated the practice as Outstanding overall.
The provider has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:
- what we found when we inspected
- information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services
- information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.
We have rated this practice as good for providing effective services because;
- Proactively working on pilot schemes in North Devon improve care at local care and nursing homes
- Outcomes for patients were consistently better than expected when compared with similar services, as shown in the quality outcomes framework (QOF) achievements of the practice.
- Staff were consistently supporting patients to live healthier lives through a targeted approach on health promotion and prevention of ill health.
- The development of staff skills and competence was recognised as integral to ensuring high quality care.
We have rated this practice as outstanding for providing well led services because:
- The leadership has built upon the foundations of their existing achievements and moved the practice forward with continuous improvement.
- The leadership, governance and culture drove the delivery of high quality person centred care. High standards were promoted and delivered by all practice staff with evidence of clear communication across all roles.
- Leaders had an inspiring shared purpose and strove to deliver and motivate staff to succeed. There was strong collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.
- The leadership drove continuous improvement and staff were accountable for delivering change. There was a proactive approach to seeking out new ways of providing care and treatment.
Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.
Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care