Old Road Medical Practice

On this page

• Overview
• Shared direction and culture
• Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders
• Freedom to speak up
• Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion
• Governance, management and sustainability
• Partnerships and communities
• Learning, improvement and innovation

We looked for evidence that practice leadership, management and governance assured high-quality, person-centred care; supported learning and innovation promoting an open, fair culture. At our last assessment, we rated this key question as Requires Improvement. At this assessment, the rating has changed to good.

This service scored 71 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The practice staff spoke with us about a shared culture that focussed on providing good quality patient centred care. The leaders had invested recently in staff, innovation, and technology, to promote preventative health care, and engage and collaborate with all healthcare partners.

The staff we spoke with told us the practice was a friendly place to work and there was a supportive team culture. Staff told us they felt supported by the GPs and practice leaders and were able to contribute to discussions about practice improvements, this included being able to raise concerns without fear of retribution.

The practice leaders understood the context and local practice demographics in which they delivered care, treatment and support aligned with the practice culture and values. Leaders had the skills, knowledge, experience, and credibility to lead the practice.

The practice leadership team worked with the other practices in their Primary Care Network (PCN) and were engaged in the development of primary care services within the local area.

Staff told us leaders at the practice were approachable and responded to any concerns raised. Staff also told us leaders embraced the values of the practice. The leadership team told us they worked with other practices in the PCN to develop primary care services within the local area. For example, extended hours appointments and vaccination clinics.

The staff we spoke with told us leaders were approachable and felt able to speak up and believed they would be heard. The practice had a Freedom to Speak up policy to support staff to raise concerns. Staff explained where on the computer desktop the policies and procedures were held to support them at the practice.

The practice fostered a positive culture where people felt they could speak up and their voice would be heard. The practice had established ‘Freedom to Speak’ up arrangements. Staff we spoke with were aware how to raise concerns.

Staff told us leaders were visible, approachable, and responded to any concerns they raised.

Since the previous assessment, the practice had focused on improvement and the development of a comprehensive action plan to keep them on track. They actively carried out clinical reporting and audit on a regular basis. However, these improved governance processes had not been fully embedded at the practice.

The practice improvement plan had been developed to drive governance improvements for example, health and safety actions being regularly monitored and completed, the introduction of environment checks, and infection control changes for compliance, for example legionella checks, hand washing audits and an annual infection control audit. These new processes had not been fully embedded at the practice.

All the staff we spoke with told us that leaders encouraged training and development and used new technology to improve the ways of working, for example the recent system to manage workflow.

The practice had acted on feedback from people following the introduction of their online booking system, and provided people support to book online appointments on their behalf.

The practice had clear responsibilities, roles, and systems of accountability for governance.

Leads were identified in a range of areas which included for example, clinical services, clinical training, prescribing, safeguarding, and infection control. Staff were supported to manage and deliver sustainable care, treatment, and support. They acted on the best information about risk, performance, and outcomes, which was shared securely with others when appropriate.

The practice quality assurance processes identified and acted on shortfalls. The practice improvement action plan recorded the active, completed, and future plans for sustainability of governance management.

We saw staff had regularly received appraisals and performance reviews. Staff could access all required policies and procedures.

The practice understood their duty to collaborate and work in partnership, to ensure services worked seamlessly for people. They shared information with healthcare partners and engaged and collaborated with their Primary Care Network (PCN) practices to improve primary care service provision to the local population. For example, extended access appointments and local vaccination clinics.

Since the previous assessment, the practice had focused on improvement and the development of a comprehensive action plan to keep them on track. They actively carried out clinical reporting and audit on a regular basis. However, these improved governance processes had not been fully embedded at the practice.

The practice improvement plan had been developed to drive governance improvements for example, health and safety actions being regularly monitored and completed, the introduction of environment checks, and infection control changes for compliance, for example legionella checks, hand washing audits and an annual infection control audit. These new processes had not been fully embedded at the practice.

All the staff we spoke with told us that leaders encouraged training and development and used new technology to improve the ways of working, for example the recent system to manage workflow.

The practice had acted on feedback from people following the introduction of their online booking system, and provided people support to book online appointments on their behalf.