We carried out a review of the data available to us about Orchard Surgery on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Orchard Surgery, you can give feedback on this service.
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Orchard Surgery on 4 May 2023. Overall, the practice is rated as good.
Safe - Good
Effective - Good
Caring - Good
Responsive - Good
Well-led - Good
Following our previous inspection on 14 June 2022, the practice was rated inadequate overall and for providing safe, effective and well-led services, requires improvement for providing responsive services and good for providing caring services. The practice was placed into special measures and issued with conditions relating to a breach of regulations.
The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Orchard Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk
Why we carried out this inspection
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection as the practice was in special measures and had had conditions imposed on their registration. This inspection was to review in detail the actions taken by the provider to improve the quality of care and to confirm whether legal requirements were now being met. The focus of this inspection included:
How we carried out the inspection
This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site.
This included:
Our findings
We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:
We found that:
The practice had fully engaged with the findings of our last report, had worked comprehensively together and with the ICB and an external team, and had identified a recovery plan, made significant changes, monitored and ensured those improvements had been sustained. Feedback from staff was positive about the changes and the future.
Whilst we found no breaches of regulations, the provider should:
I am taking this service out of special measures and the conditions that were imposed on the practice will be removed.
This recognises the significant improvements which have been made to the quality of care provided by this service.
Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.
Dr Sean O’Kelly BSc MB ChB MSc DCH FRCA
Chief Inspector of Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services
We carried out an announced inspection at Orchard Surgery on 14 June 2022. Overall, the practice is rated as inadequate.
Safe - Inadequate
Effective - Inadequate
Caring - Good
Responsive – Requires improvement
Well-led – Inadequate
Following our previous inspection on 29 April 2016, the practice was rated Good overall and for all key questions.
The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Orchard Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk
Why we carried out this inspection
This inspection was a comprehensive inspection including a site visit and was carried out as concerns had been received by CQC.
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:
Our findings
We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:
We have rated this practice as Inadequate overall.
We found that:
We found breaches of regulations. The provider must:
In addition to the breaches of regulations, the provider should:
I am placing this service in special measures. Services placed in special measures will be inspected again within six months. If insufficient improvements have been made such that there remains a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating the service. This will lead to cancelling their registration or to varying the terms of their registration within six months if they do not improve. The service will be kept under review and if needed could be escalated to urgent enforcement action. Where necessary, another inspection will be conducted within a further six months, and if there is not enough improvement, we will move to close the service by adopting our proposal to remove this location or cancel the provider’s registration.
Special measures will give people who use the service the reassurance that the care they get should improve.
As a result of the findings from our inspection, as to non-compliance, the Commission decided to issue a notice of decision to impose conditions on the provider’s CQC registration. For further information see the enforcement section of this report.
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
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Orchard Surgery on 22 March 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 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.
Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that 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.
We saw two areas of outstanding practice:
The practice had been recognised as finalists in the National Health Service Journal Efficiency Awards for their work in piloting the South Norfolk Integrated Care Organisation. The benefit of the Integrated Care Organisation is that care is closer to home for patients, with GPs at the centre of care management.
The practice was involved with local and national research studies, and was recognised within the top 10 practices in the county for their high level of research activity. A sample of the research studies the practice engaged with included the prevention of diabetes, the effect of stress on parents and children, and bowel screening participation.
The areas where the provider should make improvement are:
Ensure that all staff receive timely appraisals.
Chief Inspector of General Practice