Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection March 2015 – Good)
The key questions are rated as:
Are services safe? – Good
Are services effective? – Good
Are services caring? – Good
Are services responsive? – Good
Are services well-led? - Good
As part of our inspection process, we also look at the quality of care for specific population groups. The population groups are rated as:
Older People – Good
People with long-term conditions – Good
Families, children and young people – Good
Working age people (including those recently retired and students – Good
People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable – Good
People experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia) - Good
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Parkgate Medical Practice on 5 December 2017. This was as part of our inspection programme.
At this inspection we found:
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The practice was on a trajectory of improvement and had successfully recruited new staff within the last year. Some of the data in the report related to the previous governance and the practice were aware of this and had an action plan to monitor any issues of concern.
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The practice had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
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The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
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Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
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Some patients found the appointment system difficult to use. Some patients stated that it was difficult to get through to the practice by telephone. Most reported that they were able to access urgent care when they needed it, but had to wait too long for an appointment.
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There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
Ensure that GPs are provided with clinical supervision.
Have a system in place that ensures facilities are regularly maintained by the landlord.
Continue to monitor the action plan with regard to improving access to appointments.
Risk assess the emergency equipment.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice