Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr G C Moncrieff and Partners, more commonly known as Bicester Health Centre in Bicester, Oxfordshire on 10 August 2016. The practice is rated as outstanding for the care and treatment of one population group – people with long-term conditions and overall Bicester Health Centre is rated as good. 

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. All opportunities for learning from internal and external incidents were maximised.

• The practice worked closely with other organisations and with the local community in planning how services were provided to ensure that they meet patients’ needs.

• The practice had good modern facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.

• The continued development of staff skills, competence and knowledge was recognised as integral to ensuring high-quality care. We saw evidence and staff we spoke with told us they are supported to acquire new skills and share best practice.

• The practice actively reviewed complaints and how they are managed and responded to, and made improvements as a result.

• High standards were promoted and owned by all practice staff with evidence of team working across all roles.

• We observed the practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

• The practice had a clear vision which had quality and safety as its top priority. The strategy to deliver this vision was regularly reviewed and discussed with staff.
• The leadership at Bicester Health Centre drove continuous improvement and staff were accountable for delivering change. There was a clear proactive approach to seek out and embed new ways of providing care and treatment.

We saw areas of outstanding practice including:

• The continued development of Bicester Health Centre staff skills, competence and knowledge was recognised as integral to ensuring high-quality care. We saw evidence and staff we spoke with told us they are supported to acquire new skills and share best practice. There was designated time every Friday for staff members to complete training, this included a weekly “lunch and learn” forum to complete training and individual role specific work books which proactively managed future training.

• There was a clear proactive approach to seeking and embedding the provision of new strategies in the delivery of care and treatment. The practice team was forward thinking and proud to be initiators of many pilot schemes to improve outcomes for patients in the area.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice