The Care Quality Commission has found the quality of care provided by Cumbria Medical Services to be Outstanding following an inspection carried out in May. The service is run by a team of GPs with specialist interest in minor surgery, dermatology and ophthalmology, supported by consultants.
Overall the service has been rated Good for safety and effectiveness and Outstanding for caring, responsiveness and well-led, giving the service its Outstanding rating. A copy of the report can be found at: https://www.cqc.org.uk/provider/1-734120648
Inspectors found that the service provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm. Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs – outcomes for people who used the service were consistently good.
The service was very well led. It managed and promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care. There was strong collaboration and a common focus on engaging with patients and other services to improve the quality of care and people’s experiences.
Alison Holbourn, Deputy Chief Inspector, Primary Medical Services – North, said: “This is an excellent report. Cumbria Medical Services provide important services to the local health economy in Cumbria through providing flexibility and additional clinics. Cumbria has experienced problems recruiting doctors, it is important that this service had offered a bursary to local students who wanted to study medicine in order to encourage more people from Cumbria to train as medical professionals.
“People could access appointments that suited them and we could see that extra clinics were scheduled if waiting times reached six weeks, or if patients would have to travel too far to attend.
“The service is run by a team of GPs with specialist interest in minor surgery, dermatology and ophthalmology, supported by consultants. People were truly respected and valued as individuals and were empowered as partners in their care. Feedback from patients was positive about the way staff treated people
“All of this hard work pays off in making a real difference to patients – which is why we have found this service to be Outstanding.”
Some of the other outstanding features of the service included:
- Services were tailored to meet the needs of individual patients. They were delivered in a flexible way that ensured choice and continuity of care.
- The way the service was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care. There was strong collaboration across all staff and a common focus on engaging with patients and other services to improve quality of care and people’s experiences.
