Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Surgery, Pelton on 5 July 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.
Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:
- The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
- There was a very clear leadership structure and staff felt well 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 areas of outstanding practice:
The practice had a GP who had undertaken training in ophthalmology and the practice had invested in specific equipment to enable detailed eye examinations. This helped reduce attendance at Accident and Emergency departments.
The practice proactively reviewed governance and performance management arrangements in order to address staff shortages. Leadership at the practice motivated staff and drove continuous improvement and all staff were accountable for delivering change. The practice displayed a strong sense of valuing its staff and proactively looked at ways in which to retain them.
The areas where the provider should make improvement are:
The practice should monitor the new process of recording the usage of prescription pads via monitoring forms in line with national guidance to ensure it becomes embedded in practice.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice