Keeping Our Patients and Community Safe
At our practice, patient safety is our highest priority. We regularly assess risks and take action to ensure we provide safe, effective and accessible care for everyone, including those living in rural areas. This page summarises the main areas of safety we monitor and the proactive steps we take to protect patients, staff and our wider community.
1. Keeping Patients Clinically Safe
We ensure patients receive timely, safe care by
· Operating a safe clinical triage system for urgent requests
· Following clear procedures for test results, referrals and follow-up
· Training staff to identify safeguarding concerns early
· Regularly reviewing prescribing safety and medication processes
· Auditing clinical activity to improve the quality of care
2. Infection Prevention & Control
To reduce infection risks within the practice, we:
· Perform regular cleaning of all clinical and public areas
· Ensure staff have access to protective equipment
· Promote good hand hygiene throughout the building
· Follow national guidance during infectious outbreaks
· Safely dispose of clinical waste
3. Safe Buildings and Facilities
We keep our building safe and accessible by:
· Testing fire alarms and safety systems regularly
· Maintaining patient areas, the car park and entrances
· Keeping the premises secure with CCTV and alarm systems
· Monitoring essential medical equipment, including daily vaccine fridge checks
· Acting quickly to resolve building safety issues
4. Information Security & Technology
We protect patient information by:
· Using secure NHS-approved clinical systems
· Training our staff in data protection and cyber security
· Maintaining strong digital safeguards against cyber threat
· Having contingency plan for IT or internet interruptions
5. Supporting Our Staff
We ensure we have a skilled, supported and confident workforce by:
· Providing mandatory training and ongoing development
· Monitoring staff wellbeing and workload
· Ensuring lone-working staff are supported and safe during home visits
· Maintaining up-to-date safeguarding and emergency care training
6. Being a Rural Practice
As a rural surgery, we recognise the unique challenges faced by our patients. We take additional steps to ensure care remains accessible by:
· Offering telephone and online consultations where appropriate
· Prioritising home visits for vulnerable or isolated patients
· Planning for poor broadband or mobile signal interruptions
· Preparing for severe weather that may disrupt travel or access
· Supporting patients who live in remote or difficult-to-reach areas
7. Business Continuity – Planning for Emergencies
We have a comprehensive Business Continuity Plan to ensure we can continue operating safely during:
· IT system failures
· Power outages
· Severe weather
· Staff shortages
· Loss of building access
· Supply issues
These plans are reviewed and tested regularly.
8. Listening, Learning and Improving
We learn from patient feedback, complaints and incidents by:
· Reviewing significant events and sharing learning within the team
· Acting on suggestions from patients and carers
· Working closely with our Primary Care Network and local services
If you would like more information about how we manage safety, please contact the Practice Manager.
We are committed to transparency and to continually improving the care we provide.