This practice is rated as Good overall. (A previous inspection undertaken on 7 October 2014 had rated the practice 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 Oulton Medical Practice on 15 May 2018, as part of our inspection programme.
At this inspection we found:
- The practice had clear governance policies and protocols, which were accessible to all staff. There were clear systems in place 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.
- Patient care and treatment was delivered in line with up to date best practice guidance. There was evidence of quality improvement within the practice. Clinicians knew how to identify and manage patients with severe infections including sepsis.
- There were a range of clinical staff to support delivery of care to their patient population, for example a named advanced nurse practitioner for older people and a GP lead for frailty.
- The practice offered patients a range of access to appointments, such as telephone consultations and extended hours. Patients also had access to Saturday morning appointments with a range of clinicians, such as GP, advanced nurse practitioner and physiotherapist.
- Uptake rates for cancer screening programmes were higher than local and national averages.
- There was a good use of skill mix and the practice were engaged with innovative schemes to support quality patient care and service delivery.
- Patients in the main were positive about the service, care and treatment they received at the practice.
- There was evidence of a cohesive team with a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
We saw an area of outstanding practice:
- There was a good use of skill mix and a comprehensive, co-ordinated approach to support care and treatment provided to those patients who were elderly, frail or had mental health needs.
Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice