Archived: Oakham Surgery

We inspected Oakham Surgery 213 Regent Road, Tividale, Oldbury, West Midlands, B69 1RZ which provides primary medical services for a local population of approximately 11595 patients. The practice is a training practice for GP Registrars (fully qualified doctors who wish to become general practitioners) and an approved teaching practice for medical students. At the time of our inspection the practice employed seven permanent GPs, two specialist nurse practitioners and two practice nurses. There were also two healthcare assistants, 16 administrative staff, and a practice manager.

We spoke with 13 patients including two members of the patient participation group (PPG). PPGs are a way in which patients and GP surgeries can work together to improve the quality of the service. We spoke with clinical, administrative staff and members of the management team. We also reviewed a range of information we hold about the service and we asked other organisations to share what they knew about the service.

Systems were in place to ensure patients were safe, this included effective safeguarding policies and procedures that were fully understood and acted on by staff. There was an open culture within the practice and staff felt they were able to raise and discuss any issues with the practice manager or the GP partners.

There was evidence of completed audit cycles undertaken to ensure patients’ care and treatment was effective and which improved the quality of the service.

Patients described staff as caring and told us that their privacy and dignity was respected and they were involved in making decisions about their care and treatment.

The practice had suitable arrangements in place to respond to patients with a variety of health needs.

We determined that the practice was well-led as leadership roles and responsibilities were well established with clear lines of accountability. There was evidence that the practice had robust systems in place for assessing and managing risks and monitoring the quality of service provision.

Data that we reviewed showed that the practice population included around 12% of patients from a minority ethnic  group and a higher percentage of the practice population than the England average were aged 18 or below. The data showed that the practice was one of a number of practices in NHS Sandwell and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) that had a high deprivation score than the England average with poverty affecting children and older people. A CCG is an NHS organisation that brings together local GPs and experienced health professionals to take on commissioning responsibilities for local health services.

Patients over the age of 75 years had a designated GP and specific care pathways in place to ensure coordinated continuity of care.

Patients with long term conditions were reviewed by the GP, the practice nurse and at the chronic disease management clinic.

The practice had a midwife clinic three times a week to provide ante natal care and access to health visiting services so that children under the age of 5 years had access to the Healthy Child Programme.

There were late evening and weekend surgeries to accommodate the needs of working age patients.

The practice was part of the scheme to avoid unplanned admissions. This focused on coordinated care for the most vulnerable patients with the aim to avoid admission to hospital by managing their health needs at home.

The practice had joint working arrangements with local mental health services.

Please note that when referring to information throughout this report, for example any reference to the Quality and Outcomes Framework data, this relates to the most recent information available to the CQC at that time.