According to CQC GP surgeries are the highest performing sector in the NHS. This comes above hospitals, mental health and social care. Despite this, inspectors did note safety concerns at one in seven practices. These problems included; storing vaccines at the right temperature, filling in prescriptions quickly enough, having defibrillators that work properly and learning from mistakes.
Professor Steve Fields, the CQC’s Chief Inspector of GPs, has said he was impressed by what he found and –
“The pressures on GPs are very real, but we have found many practices are already delivering care in new and innovative ways to benefit their patients and wider community.”
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the results were a “huge achievement”.
Studies have shown that over the past three years there has been a 7% increase in the number of people registering with GP practices and reports that people are finding it more difficult to access a GP.
