8 March 2017
During a routine inspection
Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Hollow Way Medical Centre (OxFed) on 8 March 2017. Due to the nature of the service inspected we did not apply ratings. OxFed Health and Care Limited (OxFed) is a health federation that works with the 21 GP practices in Oxford City. The Hollow Way Medical Centre site is used by the federation as their administrative headquarters. Clinical services are not provided by the federation at this location. At the time of inspection OxFed was providing two services. These were:
- A team of seven care navigators that work with patients in their own home. Following inspection we found this service did not undertake any regulated activities and is out of scope of CQC registration. Therefore it is not included within this report.
- A college nursing service delivered by two nurses employed by OxFed offering nursing support to students at colleges of the Oxford University. Clinical oversight and supervision is also given to 16 more nurses employed by various university college sites.
Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:
- There was an open and transparent approach to safety and a system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
- The provider had clearly defined and embedded systems to minimise risks to patient safety.
- Staff were aware of current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills and knowledge to deliver effective care and treatment.
- Information about services and how to complain was available.
- The college nursing service operated from appropriate facilities and staff were equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
- Information was shared with the patient’s GP and other agencies when relevant to the care of the patient and where consent was taken.
- There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The provider proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
The areas where the provider should make improvement are:
- Prioritise the development of quality improvement monitoring of the services provided.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice