Inspectors praised staff for fixing a patient’s radiator
Sign for The Mill Medical Practice, Godalming.(Image: Google Street View)
A Surrey GP surgery, where staff go “above and beyond” including fixing a patient’s radiator, has been rated ‘Outstanding’ for a second time by a social care watchdog.
The Mill Medical Practice in Godalming was recognised as an example for other GP surgeries in a recent inspection.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) dropped an inspection in November as part of its ongoing checks on the quality of healthcare and services. Inspectors found the surgery showed a sustained commitment to providing outstanding care for people in Godalming.
Steven Paisley, CQC deputy director of operations in Surrey, said: “People told us they felt listened to and involved in decisions about their health.
“Staff went above and beyond to support those with complex needs, for example, coordinating multiple medical procedures under a single anaesthetic for someone who lacked capacity, reducing their stress and ensuring they received timely care.”
He said: “Leaders and staff at The Mill Medical Practice should be very proud of the findings of this report. Other GP practices should look to this report to see if there’s anything to learn from it.”
Inspectors found staff vaccinated 1,838 people in a single morning by working closely as a team, with separate children’s clinics where staff dressed as TV characters to put young people at ease.
Also, they noted that staff identified when a person’s heating was not working during a home visit and fixed the radiators and thermostat, which enabled them to stay in their own home.
Mr Paisley added: “The practice also stood out for its work supporting the wider community. Staff built relationships with local groups to improve uptake of screening programmes and developed innovative approaches like take-home packs to help families navigate neurodiversity referrals.”
For instance, the practice created step-by-step packs to help families complete neurodiversity referrals after recognising parents and carers struggled to provide the right information.
Patients echoed the praise. Over 85 per cent of people described their overall experience as good or very good, compared to the national average of 75 per cent, according to survey results.
Inspectors said the service’s effectiveness and level of care was ‘Outstanding’, while safety and responsiveness was ‘Good’.
However, it was not all gold stars: in their assessment of whether the practice was well-led, inspectors dropped the rating from ‘Outstanding’ to ‘Good’. Still, it is no small feat. Inspectors said: “Whilst the provider had maintained excellent practice, the threshold to achieve an outstanding rating had not been reached.”
The Mill Medical Practice provides GP services to approximately 16,800 people under a contract held with NHS England.
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