Archived: Oxford Road Medical Practice

Updated 24 December 2015

Dr Dinah Roy is a sole GP, also supported by another salaried GP and a locum. The practice provides personal medical services (PMS) to approximately 2,700 patients in the catchment area of Spennymoor, which is the Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area.

There are two practice nurses and a healthcare assistant. These are supported by a practice manager and a team of reception and administrative staff. The practice is a training practice and was supporting a GP registrar at the time of inspection.

The practice is open between 8.30am and 6pm Monday to Friday, with actual consulting times between 9.00am- 11.45am and 2:30pm-5:30pm.

The practice has higher levels of deprivation compared to the England average and higher levels of people with caring responsibilities or claiming disability living allowance. The practice has opted out of providing Out of Hours services, which patients access via the 111 service. The practice is a member of the South Durham Health CIC Federation, a collaborative of 24 GP practices in County Durham.

Updated 24 December 2015

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out this comprehensive inspection on 22 September 2015.

Overall, we rated this practice as good. Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing well-led, effective, caring, safe and responsive services.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
• There were systems in place to reduce risks to patient safety for example, infection control procedures.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance.
• Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.

There were some areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

The provider should:

• Ensure the practice information leaflet is available in reception when patients ask.
• Ensure that stock control and date check systems function correctly so that all single use clinical instruments stored and used are within their expiry dates. Dispose of in accordance with the appropriate guidance any unused instruments or equipment which have expired.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 24 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long term conditions. People with long term conditions were monitored and discussed at multi-disciplinary clinical meetings so the practice was able to respond to their changing needs. Information was made available to out of hours providers for those on end of life care to ensure appropriate care and support was offered. People with conditions such as diabetes attended regular nurse clinics to ensure their conditions were monitored and were involved in making decisions about their care. Nurses communicated with GPs for each condition.

The practice had introduced an annual health review and patient held plan for those with long-term conditions; which aimed to provide a holistic approach to patient's care and increased patient involvement.

Updated 24 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people. There were systems in place to identify and follow up children living in disadvantaged circumstances and who were at risk. Immunisation rates were good for all standard childhood immunisations. Weekly child health clinics were held jointly by the practice nurse and health visitors. Patients told us that children and young people were treated in an age-appropriate way and were recognised as individuals. Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies. Young people could access sexual health screening services and contraception advice.

Updated 24 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people. Nationally reported data showed that outcomes for patients were good for conditions commonly found in older people. The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population, offered home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs. It was responsive to the needs of older people and patients over 75 had a named GP. Emergency admissions to hospital were discussed and reviewed at regular multidisciplinary clinical forums.

Updated 24 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of working age people (including those recently retired and students). The needs of the working population had been identified and services adjusted and reviewed accordingly. Routine appointments could be booked in advance, or made online. Repeat prescriptions could be ordered online. Telephone appointments were available. The practice carried out health checks for people of working age, and actively promoted screening programmes such as for cervical and bowel cancer. Patients could access the weekly physiotherapist service based at the practice.

Updated 24 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). The practice carried out opportunistic screening for dementia. The practice sign-posted patients experiencing poor mental health to various support groups and voluntary organisations as required. Patients could also access a practice-based counselling service. For some patients with complex needs, multi-disciplinary meetings were held on a case-by-case basis at the practice with Consultant psychiatrists and other Mental Health Team clinicians.

Updated 24 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people living in vulnerable circumstances. The practice had a register of those who may be vulnerable, including those with learning disabilities, who were offered annual health checks. Patients or their carers were able to request longer appointments if needed. The practice had a register for looked after or otherwise vulnerable children and also discussed any cases where there was potential risk or where people may become vulnerable. The computerised patient plans were used to flag up issues where a patient may be vulnerable or require extra support. Staff were aware of their responsibilities in reporting and documenting safeguarding concerns.