Doctors' surgery in Woodhall Spa treats patients with 'kindness and compassion', says CQC

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) carried out a comprehensive inspection of Woodhall Spa New Surgery at The Broadway during January, and its findings have just been released.

Delivering a rating of ‘Good’, the inspectors reported that staff at the practice were “appropriately skilled, qualified and experienced to carry out their roles”.

"They had a good understanding of their community and provided a personalised service dependent on needs,” the CQC report said.

"The service was easy to access, and patients received fair care and treatment.”

The surgery is responsible for 5,459 patients under a contract held with NHS England. It operates alongside a branch practice at Bardney.

According to its website, the surgery is led by three GP partners – Dr Christopher Hyde, Dr Reid Baker and Dr Rebecca Gibbon. As well as routine appointments, it is open for ’enhanced access’ appointments between 6.30 pm and 8 pm on Mondays to Fridays and from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturdays.

The CQC found that “medicines were well managed at the practice, and the dispensary worked effectively to ensure safe processes were in place”.

Patients were “involved in decisions about their care” and had “choice in their care and treatment”. They had “access to a range of clinicians across both sites” and were “treated with kindness and compassion”.

The CQC said it did not receive any patient views via a link provided by the practice leaders. But overall, the feedback was positive and the reinstatement last year of a patient participation group was welcomed.

The inspectors found that Woodhall Spa New Surgery “supported the wellbeing of staff”, who “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,” the report went on. “Risks to patients were assessed and well managed”.

On the downside, the CQC did expose one breach of regulations and asked the surgery to come up with an action plan in response to its concerns.

The inspectors said: “There were not clear systems and processes to ensure actions were implemented from audit and risk-assessment tools. Policies and procedures were not always consistent with their approach.”