• Doctor
  • GP practice

Greystoke Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Morpeth NHS Centre, The Mount, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 1JX (01670) 511393

Provided and run by:
Greystoke Surgery

Important: The partners registered to provide this service have changed. See old profile

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Greystoke Surgery on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.

This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.

If you have concerns about Greystoke Surgery, you can give feedback on this service.

16 January 2020

During an annual regulatory review

We reviewed the information available to us about Greystoke Surgery on 16 January 2020. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.

08/06/2018

During a routine inspection

This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous inspection July 2015 – Good)

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Outstanding

Are services well-led? - Good

We carried out an announced inspection at Greystoke Surgery on 8 June 2018 as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

  • The practice had systems to keep patients safe and safeguarded from abuse.
  • The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care they provided. They ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
  • Outcomes for patients were consistently better than expected.
  • Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. Patient feedback was very positive.
  • The practice organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs. They took account of patients’ needs and preferences.
  • Patients could access services and appointments in way and at a time that suited them.
  • There was a focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation. The practice proactively used performance information to drive improvement.
  • The practice had some systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. However, arrangements for managing and monitoring infection control processes required improvement.
  • Some staff training was incomplete; this included training on infection control, fire safety and CPR updates.

We saw some areas of outstanding practice:

  • The practice had effective arrangements in place to monitor patients to ensure they received the right care and treatment. Outcomes for patients were consistently good; the practice achieved high scores in the Quality and Outcomes Framework and had a very low exception rate; uptake rates for breast and bowel cancer screening were well above average; childhood immunisation rates and cervical screening rates were very high.
  • The practice offered annual health checks to patients with a learning disability. Following this a written care plan was agreed and sent to the patient; 92% of the 37 patients on the register had agreed care plans in place.
  • A new appointments system had been introduced in 2017 which provided same day access for patients. This system enabled appointments and telephone calls to be arranged for a convenient time for the patient. The lengths of each appointment were tailored to the needs of the patient and the complexity and/or number of health issues to be covered. Data showed that this approach increased the number of appointments available (by 18%) and reduced the DNA (did not attend) rate (by 83%).

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • Carry out regular infection control audits to ensure appropriate standards are being maintained.
  • Take steps to provide staff with appropriate training on infection control, fire safety and CPR.
  • Develop a system to increase identification of patients who are also carers.
  • Carry out the remaining appraisals for administrative staff.
  • Review staff’s professional registration status on a regular basis to obtain assurance they remain appropriately registered.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice

23 July 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Greystoke Surgery on 23 July 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

  • Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed
  • Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
  • 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.
  • Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments 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.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice:

  • The practice had implemented and regularly reviewed a colour coded high risk register for elderly patients, palliative care patients and those felt to be at high risk of admission to hospital, including patients who had previously attempted suicide
  • The practice had developed a tiered carer’s consent form to ensure a carer’s level of responsibility and decision making on behalf of the patient was known.
  • All patients with a long term condition, learning disability or mental health issue were routinely offered a longer appointment time.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice