The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Archived: Banbury Health Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

58 Bridge Street, Banbury, Oxfordshire, OX16 5QD (01295) 225533

Provided and run by:
Principal Medical Limited

All Inspections

10 October 2017

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Banbury Health Centre on 11 November 2016. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. Specifically we rated the practice requires improvement in safe, effective and well-led. The full comprehensive report from this inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Banbury Health Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 10 October 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection in November 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is now rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • Improvements to governance systems enabled the practice to manage and mitigate risks effectively.
  • The system of governance was proactive in identifying where improvements could be made to enhance the experience and care for patients.
  • The practice had implemented risk assessments where required and had acted on any risks identified to ensure that fire, legionella, prescription form tracking and electrical safety risks were managed.
  • There had been improvements to the level of exception reporting in 2017.
  • There was a system for monitoring staff training and identifying the training needs of staff.
  • Work had been undertaking to increase the awareness and uptake of various cancer screening programmes
  • The practice had undertaken a programme to raise the profile of their carers and increase the number of carers recorded. There had been carers referral box placed at reception and posters placed at reception to encourage carers to identify themselves. The number of registered carers had increased from 32 in 2016 to 51 in October 2017. Information on local support organisations was available for patients.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

11 November 2016

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Banbury Health Centre on 11 November 2016. Overall the practice is rated as requires improvement.

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

  • There was an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
  • Although risks to patients who used services were assessed, the systems and processes to address these risks were not always implemented well enough. For example, all reasonable steps had not been undertaken to mitigate risks associated with fire safety, electrical safety, legionella, and prescription tracking.
  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Low numbers of patients registered at the practice attended breast and bowel cancer screening appointments.
  • Systems to monitor that training updates were undertaken in a timely way were not always effective.
  • There was evidence of appraisals and personal development plans for some staff, but four staff were overdue an appraisal according to practice guidelines.
  • The majority of patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • The practice had identified 32 patients as carers (0.5% of the practice list). Written information was available to direct carers to the various avenues of support available to them.
  • There was an interpreter service, the practice website could be translated into multiple languages, and there was information about health conditions and services available in different languages.
  • 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.
  • There was a 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.

The areas where the provider must make improvement are:

  • Ensure governance systems to assess, monitor and improve the quality of service are effective. For example, monitoring risk and taking action from risk assessments for fire, electrics, legionella, and prescription security. Reviewing and taking action against poor performance of cancer screening outcomes.

  • Ensuring that staff deployed are suitably appraised and trained with updates to enable them to carry out the duties of their role. Including training for permanent and locum staff in accordance with practice policy and developing systems to ensure effective monitoring and records are kept. Undertake appraisals in line with practice guidelines.

  • Take steps to further improve the identification of patients who are carers and provide all of these patients with appropriate support and information about support organisations.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

19 February 2013

During a routine inspection

This location is registered for a number of different activities. During our visit, we were unable to speak to people utilising family planning, maternity, transport or surgical procedures.

We spent time observing how people were greeted in the reception area and called through to see the doctor or nurse. No people who used the service wanted to speak to us during our visit. However, we did note the positive comments in the recent patient survey. We saw excellent interaction and communication between staff and people using the service. The provider had a robust system in place for handling medicines. We also observed a good governance structure in place which involved the clinical staff.