Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Chipping Norton Health Centre on 4 May 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice, including:

• The practice ran clinics and group sessions for patients with addictions which was open to patients from a number of local practices. The sessions were run by the practice alongside support workers from a local drug and alcohol agency, and the GPs had access to an expert substance misuse clinician who could be contacted when required. The practice was in discussion with the CCG to expand this service and allow patients from practices in the wider area to attend.
• Patients in the Chipping Norton area received enhanced support for their end of life care needs. This was provided by a charity which the partners of the practice had created and continued to support. Since April 2015, 30 patients had been supported by the charity, for a total of 1,425 nursing hours.

The areas where the provider should improve are:

• Review the long term conditions recall systems and procedures to ensure that patients who are not attending health review appointments to manage their long term conditions are given wider opportunities to engage with health care provision.

• Ensure all staff appraisals are completed by October 2016 and annual appraisals take place thereafter.

• Ensure that employee records are updated to reflect training and DBS checks undertaken at the two previous practices prior to the merger in April 2015.

• Ensure repeat prescription reviews are undertaken within the defined timescales to ensure medicines for patients are still appropriate for their care and treatment.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice