Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection August 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 West Moors Group Practice on 9 January 2017 as part of our inspection programme.
At this inspection we found:
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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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Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care when they needed it.
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There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
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The practice made reasonable adjustments when patients found it hard to access services. For example, the nurses offered home visits for frail patients, who were unable to attend appointments at the practice, to administer the flu vaccine.
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The practice used a text message system to engage patients with services that helped them to live healthier lives.
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There was a dedicated frailty lead at the practice, in post since September 2016. During this time, the practice has seen a 5% reduction in unplanned hospital admissions of patients aged over 65 year.
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The practice proactively identified and supported patients who were carers. For example, the practice had a dedicated carers lead and provided a carers group.
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
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Review systems and risk assess the responsibilities and activities of staff to determine if they are eligible for a Disclosure and Barring Service check in line with current guidance.
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Review systems for all medicine near misses in the dispensary including how recorded and acted upon.
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Review governance procedures to maintain safety, for example by maintaining a system for receiving and acting on safety alerts.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice