A doctor’s surgery in Preston has been taken out of special measures.

Broadway Surgery in Fulwood was rated as ‘inadequate’ in September last year and told to improve by health inspectors.

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Now it has improved to ‘good’ in all areas after being revisited in May this year.

A statement released by Dr DC Patel and Partners who operate the surgery said: “We would like to say a big thank you to all of our team for the dedication and hard work that they put in following our inspection in September 2016.

“A big “thank you” also goes to the 102 patients who completed one of the Care Quality Commission feedback cards – a record number that our particular inspector had ever seen – 96 of which had positive comments.

“Finally, we would also like to thank the members of our Patient Participation Group whose newsletter and help on the inspection day was much appreciated.”

Here’s what the inspector, Professor Steve Field, had to say as he said they had made ‘significant improvements’.

How Broadway is now rated

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and a system in place for reporting and recording significant events. Actions taken as a result of significant events were reviewed to be effective.
• The practice had clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise risks to patient safety.
• Safeguarding procedures had improved and there was system to identify vulnerable patients although there was no specific register of these patients to facilitate discussion.
• Practice recruitment processes were comprehensive although the practice had not used confidential health questionnaires for new staff.
• Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment although two GPs had not attained all of the clinical requirements necessary to undertake patient smears. The practice told us that all GPs were now aware of these requirements and that they were treating this as a significant event as a priority.
• Staff training was well governed and there was a comprehensive record of training to ensure that it was completed appropriately and in a timely way.
• Practice staff had access to a range of policies and procedures although some policies were not practice-specific. The practice was in the process of embedding local and practice information into these policies.
• Results from the national GP patient survey showed patients were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients we spoke with said they found it easy to make an appointment with a GP and 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.
• The provider was aware of the requirements of the duty of candour. Examples we reviewed showed the practice complied with these requirements.

The Care Quality Commission found three areas where the GPs needed to make improvements:

Look to re-instate the use of confidential health questionnaires when employing new staff.

Ensure that the new practice policies and procedures are successfully embedded in the practice.

Complete the planned cytology significant event analysis to mitigate risks associated with clinicians not attaining clinical competencies.

You can read the full report on the Care Quality Commission website.