Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Bewbush Medical Practice on 5 March 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.
Bewbush Medical Practice provides services to people living in the Bewbush, Crawley area. At the time of our inspection there were approximately 7,400 patients registered at the practice with a team of two GP partners. The practice was also supported by locum GPs, nurses, healthcare assistants and a team of reception and administrative staff.
We visited the practice location at Bewbush Medical Practice, Bewbush place, Bewbush, Crawley, RH11 8XT
The inspection team spoke with staff and patients and reviewed policies and procedures. The practice understood the needs of the local population and engaged effectively with other services. There was a culture of openness and transparency within the practice and staff told us they felt supported. The practice was committed to providing high quality patient care and patients told us they felt the practice was caring and responsive to their needs.
Our key findings were as follows:
- Staff understood their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses.
- Information about safety was recorded, monitored, 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 and 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
However, there were also areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.
Importantly, the provider must:
- Ensure that all staff recruitment files contain relevant information as required under the regulation, including criminal record checks via the Disclosure and Barring Service for those staff who undertake chaperone duties.
- Ensure that all significant events are recorded and that there is a greater degree of learning, including reviewing the impact upon the service provided to ensure that the event is not repeated.
In addition the provider should:
- Ensure that when needed language line is considered to help patients
- Ensure required codes for risks to children and young people on child protection plans are shown as active or non-active
- Ensure that annual appraisals record appropriate information and that staff are given a copy of their objectives.
- Ensure that staff inductions are role related and that sign off on specific learning is recorded.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice