• Doctor
  • GP practice

Valley Road Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

139 Valley Road, Streatham, London, SW16 2XT (020) 8769 2566

Provided and run by:
Valley Road Surgery

All Inspections

During an assessment under our new approach

Date of Assessment: 29 July 2026 to 30 July 2026 Valley Road Surgery is a GP practice and delivers a service to 5626 under a contract held with NHS England. The National General Practice Profiles states that the ethnic makeup of the patient population is 58.7% White, 8.6% Asian, 18.3% Black 9.1% Mixed and 5.3% Other. Information published by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that deprivation within the practice population group is in the 6th decile (6 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others. This assessment considered the demographics of the people using the service, the context the service was working within and how this impacted service delivery. Where relevant, further commentary is provided in the quality statements section of this report.
Valley Road Surgery is located at 139 Valley Road Streatham London SW16 2XT.
The practice operates from a purpose-built property with patient facilities including reception and waiting areas on the ground floors. The practice has access to 7 consultation rooms on the ground floor.
The premises are wheelchair accessible and there are facilities for wheelchair users including an accessible toilet, the practice has a hearing loop.
The practice clinical team consists of 1 GP partner 3 salaried GPs, and 1 practice nurse. The GPs are supported by a managing partner practice manager, and 7 reception/administration staff.
The practice is a training practice, and they had one GP student at the time of the inspection.
We carried out this assessment due to the length of time since the last comprehensive inspection.


The service had a good learning culture and people could raise concerns. Managers investigated incidents thoroughly. People were protected and kept safe. Staff understood and managed risks. The facilities and equipment met the needs of people, were clean and well-maintained and any risks mitigated. There were enough staff with the right skills, qualifications and experience. Managers made sure staff received training and regular appraisals to maintain high-quality care. Staff managed medicines well and involved people in planning any changes.
People were involved in assessments of their needs. Staff reviewed assessments taking account of people’s communication, personal and health needs. Care was based on latest evidence and good practice. Staff worked with all agencies involved in people’s care for the best outcomes and smooth transitions when moving services. Staff made sure people understood their care and treatment to enable them to give informed consent. Where patients didn’t have capacity, and staff took decisions about the patient’s care in their best interest, they involved those people who were important to the patient in the decision.
People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff protected their privacy and dignity. They treated them as individuals and supported their preferences. People had choice in their care and treatment. The service supported staff wellbeing.
People were involved in decisions about their care. The service provided information people could understand. People knew how to give feedback and were confident the service took it seriously and acted on it. The service was easy to access and worked to eliminate discrimination. People received fair and equal care and treatment. The service worked to reduce health and care inequalities through training and feedback. People were involved in planning their care and understood options around choosing to withdraw or not receive care.
Leaders and staff had a shared vision and culture based on listening, learning and trust. Leaders were visible, knowledgeable and supportive, helping staff develop in their roles. Staff felt supported to give feedback and were treated equally, free from bullying or harassment. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities. Managers worked with the local community to deliver the best possible care and were receptive to new ideas. There was a culture of continuous improvement with staff given time and resources to try new ideas.
 

9 October 2018

During a routine inspection

This practice is rated as Good overall. The practice was previously inspected in November 2014 and was rated as good overall.

The key questions at this inspection are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? - Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Valley Road Surgery on 9 October 2018.

At this inspection we found:

  • The practice had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
  • The practice had implemented 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.
  • The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
  • Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
  • Information about services and how to complain was available.
  • Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care when they needed it.
  • There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.

We saw two areas of outstanding practice:

  • The practice in conjunction with its patient participation group (PPG) had set up a group to assist older people in registering for online services. Three workshops had seen more than 100 patients register.
  • The practice in conjunction with its PPG had conducted a survey and determined that patient loneliness was an issue among older patients. In conjunction with the practice the group set up a chair exercise group. The group reported that they were in the process of auditing the efficacy of this, in the interim, feedback from patients had been positive.

The area where the provider should make improvements is:

  • Improve systems to ensure prescription security.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Please refer to the detailed report and the evidence tables for further information.

10 November 2014

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

Valley Road Surgery provides a GP service to just over 5,000 patients in the south west area of Lambeth in south London. This is the provider’s only location.

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 10 November 2014. The inspection took place over one day by a lead inspector and a GP specialist advisor. Overall the practice is rated as good. Specifically, we found the practice to be good at providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led services. It was also good for providing services for all population groups.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • We found the practice was caring. Patients felt their privacy and dignity were respected, that they received appropriate care and treatment and that the doctors and nurses explained any treatment to them clearly. Patients said the repeat prescription process worked for them.
  • We found the practice was safe with suitable systems in place to deal with medical emergencies, to monitor infection control, to protect children and vulnerable adults from harm and to recruit staff.
  • We found the practice was effective. Staff were up to date with best practice guidance. The GPs had areas of responsibility. Data showed the outcomes for patients were at or above the local average. Suitable systems were in place to work with other health and social care providers.
  • We found the practice was responsive to the needs of patients. They used information from patient surveys, comments and complaints to improve the services provided. The practice was accessible to people with mobility problems, those who used a wheelchair and pushchairs. There was a range of in advance and on the day appointments and home visits provided when required, however some patients said they experienced difficulties getting appointments, particularly with their GP of choice.

However, there were also areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly, the provider must:

  • Ensure all clinicians have completed child protection training to Level 3.

In addition the provider should:

  • Ensure patient safety alerts are shared with relevant staff in a timely manner;
  • Improve system for checking medicines to ensure medicines past their use by date are disposed of promptly;
  • Review the cleaning schedule to include all areas of the practice;
  • Ensure clinical staff, particularly the GPs receive training in the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice