Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Oakenfull and Partners on 12 September 2016. 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 safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance.
• Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• 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.
• Patients said they were able to get same day appointments.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There was a clear 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 should/must make improvement are

Implement more formal systems to record actions taken with regard to health and safety systems within the practice. For example the actions taken in relation to the fire risk assessment, the maintenance of equipment and the monitoring of cleaning schedules.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We spoke with six patients who attended the surgery on the day of our inspection.

We asked the patients whether they felt their conversations with the receptionists could be overhead. Comments included “The way it is sectioned you can get privacy” and “It’s split into booths, so if you have any worries you can talk to them in private.” One patient said they would prefer to speak to someone in a private room.

We saw the practice had safeguarding policies in place for both children and vulnerable adults. There was an identified lead clinician with a clear role to oversee safeguarding within the practice.

We saw the practice was generally clean, tidy and well maintained. Personal protective equipment and hand hygiene gel was available throughout the surgery. Hand washing instructions were also displayed by hand basins and there was a supply of liquid soap and paper hand towels.

We found staff received regular training and supervision. Staff told us they felt supported by their managers.

Most patients we spoke with said that they knew they could speak to a member of staff if they had a complaint. One patient said "I haven’t had to complain but would speak to the practice manager if I needed to.” Another patient said “I complained about something and it was dealt with to my satisfaction.”