Archived: Oxford Street Surgery

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at the Oxford Street Surgery on 18 October 2016. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

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

• There was an open and transparent approach to promoting the safety of patients and staff and, an effective system for reporting and recording significant events. The staff team took the opportunity to learn from all internal and external incidents.

• Services were tailored to meet the needs of individual patients and were delivered in a way that ensured flexibility, choice and continuity of care. All staff were actively engaged in monitoring and improving quality and patient outcomes. Staff were committed to supporting patients to live healthier lives through a targeted and proactive approach to health promotion.

• The QOF data, for 2014/15, showed the practice had performed very well in obtaining 98.6% of the total points available to them, for providing recommended care and treatment. This was above the local clinical commissioning group (CCG) average of 96.8%, and the England average of 94.8%. (Just before we published the report, the QOF data for 2015/16 was released.

• Risks to patients and staff were assessed and well managed. Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. They had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.

• The practice worked closely with other organisations when planning how services were provided, to ensure patients’ needs were met.

• Patients’ emotional and social needs were seen as being as important as their physical needs, and there was a strong, visible, person-centred culture. Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and that they were involved in decisions about their treatment.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.

• The leadership, governance and management of the practice helped ensure the delivery of good quality person-centred care, supported learning and promoted an open culture.

However, there were also areas where the provider needs to make improvements. The provider should:

• Carry out a yearly review of significant events, to help identify common themes and patterns.

• Put in place a formal system for updating the practice’s clinical guidelines, and carry out checks to make sure they are being implemented.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice