Chiltern House Medical Centre

We carried out an announced inspection at Chiltern House Medical Centre in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire on 18 May 2021.

Overall, the practice is rated as Good.

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

Why we carried out this inspection

This inspection was completed following changes in the registration of this practice to a new provider of care and treatment. These changes were introduced on a temporary basis in April 2019 and permanently in September 2019.

How we carried out the inspection

Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, taking into account the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections differently. This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements.

This included:

• Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing
• Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system and discussing findings with the provider
• Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider
• Requesting evidence from the provider
• A short site visit
• Engagement with external stakeholders
• Discussions with the patient participation group

Our findings

We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:

• What we found when we inspected
• Information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
• Information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We have rated this practice as Good overall and Good for all population groups.

We found that:

• It was evident the practice had gone through a period of transition since the change of provider in September 2019. Improvements had been made, systems implemented to manage, and monitor risks and patient feedback was improving. Staff we spoke with recognised the endeavours of the new leadership team and were keen to be part of the new developments.
• The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
• Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
• Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
• The practice adjusted how it delivered services to meet the needs of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.
• The practice had clear and visible clinical and managerial leadership and supporting governance arrangements. There was a high level of constructive engagement with staff and all staff we spoke with told us they felt they were an integral part of the practice, they felt valued and safe during the pandemic.

Whilst we found no breaches of regulations, the provider should:

• Look at methods to improve the uptake of cervical cancer screening for eligible patients and improve the identification of people with caring responsibilities.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care