Innovative Learning, Development and Communication Strategy Key to GP Practice Outstanding Rating from CQC

Following an inspection in August 2017 The Care Quality Commission has found the quality of care provided by Chorley Surgery to be Outstanding.

Inspectors rated the practice as Outstanding for effectiveness and well-led and Good for safety, caring and responsiveness.

The practice was commended on:

• The surgery's bimonthly staff news bulletin, used as part of the practice’s learning, development and communication strategy. It provides comprehensive information for staff about the significant events, complaints and patients feedback received in the preceding two months and the changes implemented as a result of these.
• The partnership and management team's structure.  With distinct roles and responsibilities, utilising the experience and skills of each member to the full. As a result of this structure, all business and clinical matters were delivered effectively at the practice.
• Its clearly defined and embedded systems for the reporting and recording significant events. Significant events were investigated and learning outcomes are shared with the practice team to enhance the delivery of safe care to patients.
• Mechanisums for gathering feedback from patients, with an active patient participation group, which influenced practice development. 
• Its strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels.

CQC’s Deputy Chief Inspector of General Practice in the North, Alison Holbourn, said "“This is an innovative and collaborative practice that has done some outstanding work in partnership with other GP practices. There is a strong commitment to patient centred care. The practice has initiated a range of quality improvement projects for both their own patient population and within a locality of 50000 patients. These included working with the local authority, paramedics, and the Lancashire Wellbeing Services to provide a Primary Care User Support team (PCUST) to identify patients who frequently need to use primary care services to provide them with a personalised care and support programme."

“Additionally, the practice provided clinical support and treatment to their own patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes (including complex cases) and the patients of the five GP practices they worked collaboratively with. The initial impact of the service enabled patients to be seen quickly within a three to four week wait at the diabetic hub as opposed to the secondary care waiting list of 20 weeks or more."

“Staff worked with other health care professionals to understand and meet the range and complexity of patients’ needs. For example following a request from the practice the palliative care team now held regularly palliative care clinics at the practice. The practice demonstrated a wider community focus and provided services on site that could be accessed by patients who were registered at one of the five other practices."

A full report of the inspection has been published on the CQC's website.