This service is rated as Good overall.

The key questions 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 OWLS West Lancashire GP Federation on 25 April 2019. This was the first inspection of this extended hours service. Our inspection included a visit to the service’s headquarters and to one of the locations where the service operated.

At this inspection we found:

• The service had good systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When they did happen, the service learned from them and improved their processes.
• The service routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
• There was a strong focus on quality improvement. Audit was meaningful and informed by service outcomes.
• Staff involved and treated people with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients were able to access care and treatment from the service within an appropriate timescale for their needs. Patient feedback on the service was consistently positive.
• There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation. Integration with GP practices was central to the organisation aims and values.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care