Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Oakley Medical Practice on 23 February 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led care for all of the population groups it serves.

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

• The practice was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour (being open and transparent with people who use the service, in relation to care and treatment provided). The partners encouraged a culture of openness and honesty, which was reflected in their approach to safety. All staff were encouraged and supported to record any incidents using the electronic reporting system. There was evidence of good investigation, learning and sharing mechanisms in place.
• There was a clear leadership structure and a stable workforce in place. Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities and told us the GPs and manager were accessible and supportive. The practice promoted an all inclusive approach amongst staff.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. There were good governance arrangements and appropriate policies in place.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat and meet the needs of patients. Information regarding the services provided by the practice was available for patients.
• There was a complaints policy and clear information available for patients who wished to make a complaint.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and were involved in care and decisions about their treatment.
• Patients were positive about access to the service. They said they found it easy to make an appointment, there was continuity of care and urgent appointments were available on the same day as requested.
• Longer appointments were given to those patients requiring interpreter services.
• A small number of identified patients with complex needs were fast tracked for access to a clinician.
• The practice sought patient views how improvements could be made to the service, through the use of patient surveys, the NHS Friends and Family Test and the patient participation group.
• The ethos of the practice was to deliver good patient centred care.

We saw two areas of outstanding practice:

• The practice worked closely with a local nursing home, a named GP attended on a weekly basis providing support to patients and staff as needed. The nursing home manager verbally confirmed there had been a reduction in unplanned hospital admissions as a result of the interventions by the practice. Unfortunately, due to a recent change in home ownership they could not provide the written statistics to evidence the reductions.
• The national GP patient survey results showed satisfaction rates were significantly higher than the local and national averages.

However, there were two areas where the practice should make improvements:

• Ensure oxygen is available on the premises, in case of urgent need by a patient.
• Ensure all staff receive an agreed formalised annual appraisal and personal development plan.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We reviewed the information available to us about Oakley Medical Practice on 11 May 2019. We did not find evidence of significant changes to the quality of service being provided since the last inspection. As a result, we decided not to inspect the surgery at this time. We will continue to monitor this information about this service throughout the year and may inspect the surgery when we see evidence of potential changes.