During our inspection we spoke with ten patients who used the service. People told us that they were satisfied with the care and treatment they received. One patient told us "the GPs are very flexible and supportive. Whilst going through a difficult time they remembered the smaller details about me and my husband. This meant a lot to us".Patients who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse. Patients we spoke with all said they felt safe when they visited the practice.
We found the consulting rooms and waiting area clean and tidy and mostly free from odours. Patients we spoke with said they had no concerns about hygiene standards within the practice. One patient said "The practice is always clean and tidy. I am also impressed at how clean the toilets are here". However, we found that people were not always protected from the risk of infection because appropriate guidance had not been followed.
Patients told us that the GPs explained the reasons for newly prescribed drugs. Others said that there were invited to undertake medication reviews on a regular basis. However, we found that other management processes and the disposal of medicines was not always in line with national guidance.
There were not always enough nursing staff to support and safeguard the health, safety and welfare of service users. This was because the practice had experienced staff absences and shortages since April 2013.
The practice sought the views of patients and acted upon the feedback received. We saw that audits took place at regular intervals throughout the year. However, we also found the practice did not always have effective systems or processes to identify, assess and manage risks to the health, safety and welfare.
Complaints were dealt with appropriately within the practice. The patients we spoke with told us that they knew of the complaints process and that they were confident that the practice would respond appropriately.