Dear Editor – May ’23. SMLG
South Leicestershire Medical Group: Have they improved?
From reading their website “SLMG welcomed the Care Quality Commission (CQC) Inspection Team to the practice (exactly a year ago) on Thursday 28 April 2022. We were open and honest and value their comments and advice. The CQC regulates all health and social care services in England to ensure the quality and safety in all hospitals, GP Surgeries, Care Homes, Dentists, Community Care and Domiciliary Care Services. Due to the pandemic most CQC inspections had been postponed.
Since spring 2022 these inspections have resumed. SLMG was visited by the CQC inspection team for several reasons including that it has been eight years since they had been inspected and there have been changes in both the partnership and management structure and also due to the high level of complaints received directly to CQC.
The findings at the time of the report were as follows:-
| Are Services Overall Safe? | Rating: Requires Improvement. |
| Are Services Effective? | Rating: Requires Improvement. |
| Are Services Caring | Rating: Good |
| Are services responsive to people’s needs? | Rating: Requires Improvement. |
| Are services well-led? | Rating: Requires Improvement. |
The pertinent question is has the situation improved sufficiently and noticeably?
SLMG Minutes
It is noted from SLMG Patient Participation Group minutes for February 2023 (latest one currently available) under section 5, Compliments and Complaints, reports that these were discussed, as well as any trends within these and the current practice procedure on complaints. The minutes go on to say the “Outline of complaints procedure {is} to be revisited and flagged up to patients via FB (Facebook) and website to inform patients of appropriate route for complaints.” But not everyone uses Facebook.
We, as users of this practice, are looking for a response from SLMG showing they have made progress in improving their competence.
Currently entering SLMG into Google shows a very low rating of 2.1 (out of 5).
Name and address withheld.
A response from SLMG is https://www.kibworthchronicle.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=15806&action=edit
South Leicestershire Medical Group and Patient Participation Group
