
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has found the quality of care provided by Frome Medical Practice to be ‘Outstanding’ following an inspection carried out in June 2015.
Inspectors found that the surgery was providing a safe, effective and well-led service that was caring and responsive to the needs of the local community. Frome Medical Practice provides a primary medical service to patients living in and around the Frome area.
Ruth Rankine, deputy chief inspector of General Practice for the South said, “We found that Frome Medical Practice is providing an outstanding service, particularly for people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.
“We were particularly impressed with the practice’s work to drive improvements to services for its patients and the commitment of all staff to continuously improve.
“Staff demonstrated a detailed understanding of the differing needs of their patients and planned their services accordingly.”
The Senior Partner of the Frome Medical Practice, Dr Tina Merry, commented, “We are of course absolutely delighted at the findings of the CQC. Everyone here, from doctors and nurses to receptionists, has been working extremely hard to constantly improve the level of service that we are providing to patients.
“It is particularly gratifying to see our efforts acknowledged just over two years after moving in to the new Frome Health Centre building here at Enos Way.
“However, none of my partners, nor indeed myself, have any illusions about the enormous amount of work that still lies ahead. We are all more than aware of public concern over many of the issues concerning the NHS and how GP practices deliver their services. We shall not be resting on our laurels.
“However, the findings of the CQC are an enormous encouragement as we continue to strive to provide for Frome and its surrounding villages a primary care medical service that is second to none.”
Linda Prosser, director of commissioning at NHS England South added, “The practice prides itself on being a learning organisation, and we can learn that through their professionalism and innovation they have achieved such a high standard.
“The NHS values the quality of care patients receive through their GP services and this ‘Outstanding’ rating is a credit to the centre, acknowledging their hard work and dedication to their patients and staff.”
Under CQC’s new programme of inspections, all GP practices in England are being given a rating according to whether they are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
The report on the Frome Medical Practice highlights a number of areas of outstanding practice, including:
The practice was forward thinking and used innovative methods to improve patient experience, working with other local providers to share best practice. For example, the practice had a team focused on reducing hospital admissions, providing support to high risk patients and working in collaboration with other teams.
The practice worked closely with other organisations and with the local community in planning how services were provided to ensure that they met patients’ needs.
The practice encourage suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a consequence of feedback from patients and from the Patient Participation Group.
The full report from the Care Quality Commission can be accessed via: www.cqc.org.uk/content/cqcrates-frome-medical-practice-somerset-outstanding