Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Oakfields Health Centre on 15 June 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 safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were mainly assessed and well managed, however we found that prescriptions were not signed prior to the issue of medication from the dispensary. The practice has since reviewed this process and introduced a system where all prescriptions are reviewed and signed by the GP before dispensing.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with 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 found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• 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.

There were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements, the provider should:

The provider should monitor the new process of signing repeat prescriptions before they are issued to patients. This is in order to demonstrate these improvements become embedded into practice in the long term.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

We spoke with four patients who attended the surgery on the day of our inspection. People said they were happy with the service provided. Comments included; “I had a telephone consultation with my doctor this morning, following this the doctor offered me the option of two appointments for today, one at 10:20 or another later in the afternoon” and “I have been a patient here for many years; I used to be with the old practice before this one was built. I can honestly say that all three doctors here are just great. You can get an appointment on the day you contact them, if not the next day".

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 very clean, tidy and well maintained.

We checked a sample of five boxes of medicines and saw the stock levels and records were accurate. We found all medicines were in date. We also saw prescription pads were held securely with access restricted to named staff members.

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