The Humbleyard Practice

Updated 3 September 2024

Date of assessment: 10 October 2024 - 24 October 2024. The Humbleyard Surgery is an NHS GP practice located in semi-rural Norfolk in an area of low deprivation. There were approximately 22,000 people registered with the service at the time of our assessment. The practice dispenses medicines to those patients eligible to receive this service and operates across three sites: Cringleford, Hethersett and Mulbarton. We assessed 27 quality statements across the safe, effective, responsive and well-led key questions; and have combined the scores for these areas with scores from the last inspection. Leaders told us that GP recruitment challenges and a rapidly increasing patient list size continued to impact on the practice’s ability to provide timely and flexible access; and latest GP survey data highlighted that people remained dissatisfied regarding phone and appointments access. However, leaders were aware of performance in this area and we saw extensive evidence of how the practice had taken action to provide timely and flexible access. Leaders had taken action to address governance concerns identified at our last inspection however some areas of governance required further development and so overall, it was too early to assess whether improvements would be sustained. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the breach of Regulation 17 (Good governance) we found at this assessment.

Updated 3 September 2024

People were positive about the quality of their care and treatment that they received. Recent National GP Patient Survey showed positive feedback on involvement in care decisions, on trust in health care professionals and on levels of care and concern shown by health care professionals. However, the survey also highlighted that people remained dissatisfied about the availability of appointments. The provider was aware and had attempted to improve access. For example, leaders had recently introduced an on-line triage system to help patients access the most appropriate appointment option. The practice had also commenced work with a local community pharmacy to raise patients’ awareness about common conditions that could be treated by local pharmacies and therefore reduce demand for appointments. The GP Patient Survey also highlighted that patients were dissatisfied regarding phone access and again we saw evidence of action taken. A new phone system had recently been introduced with call back functionality and the practice’s website now offered additional features to reduce demand on the phone system.