Background to this inspection
Updated
25 July 2019
The main practice premises are in a purpose built health centre, which was constructed in 1962. The premises have been modified extensively over years, to meet patient requirements. The practice provides primary medical services to approximately 31,000 patients in Reading, Berkshire. The branch surgery at Whitley Villa is a converted house that is over 200 years old.
The University Medical Group has a high proportion of younger patients registered. Many of the younger patients are students from the nearby University. Since taking on the branch surgery at Whitley Villa, in 2016, the number of patients aged over 65 has increased but remains below national average. National data shows the practice registered population at 8 on a 1 to 10 scale of income deprivation (1 being most deprived and 10 least deprived).
The practice is led by three GP partners supported by a clinical team that includes salaried GPs, clinical pharmacists, paramedics, practice nurses, a physician associate and health care assistants. The administration and reception team support the clinical staff across a broad range of administrative tasks. There is a total of 55 staff at the practice. Outside normal surgery hours patients were able to access emergency care from an Out of Hours (OOH) provider. Information on how to access medical care outside surgery hours was available on the practice leaflet, website and waiting area.
The practice has a Primary Medical Services (PMS) contract. PMS contracts are negotiated locally with the local office of NHS England. The practice provides services from:
The University Medical Centre
9 Northcourt Avenue,
Reading
Berkshire,
RG2 7HE (The registered location) and
Whitley Villa Surgery
1 Christchurch Road
Reading
Berkshire
RG2 7AB (The branch surgery)
The practice is registered with the CQC to provide the following regulated activities:
- Treatment of disease, disorder or injury
- Diagnostic and screening procedures
- Surgical procedures
- Family planning services and
- Maternity and midwifery services
We visited both sites during the inspection.
Updated
25 July 2019
We carried out an announced inspection of University Medical Group on 17 June 2019.
We carried out the inspection of this service due to the length of time since the last inspection. Following our review of the information available to us, including information provided by the practice, we focused our inspection on the following key questions: Was the practice providing safe, effective and well-led services.
Because of the assurance received from our review of information we carried forward the ratings for the following key questions: Was the practice providing caring and responsive services.
We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:
- what we found when we inspected
- information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
- information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.
The last inspection of this practice was carried out in January 2015 when it was rated outstanding overall. Since the last inspection the number of patients registered at the practice had increased by over 10,000 and the practice had taken on another site.
Our findings at this inspection resulted in maintaining an overall rating of outstanding for the practice.
All population groups remain rated outstanding because the rating for provision of responsive service was outstanding for all and has been carried forward from the last inspection. Our review of information and patient feedback prior to inspection identified high levels of satisfaction with access to the service.
We found:
- The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
- Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
- The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.
- Personal development and learning was actively promoted and a wide range of learning opportunities were provided for staff of all grades and disciplines.
- The practice organised and provided services to meet patients’ needs. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
- Patient feedback was consistently positive and the practice took account of feedback in the way services were provided.
- When changes were made to the way the service was provided the practice managed these in a sensitive and controlled manner. The views of staff and patients were sought and acted upon when changes were proposed and carried out.
Whilst we found no breaches of regulations, the provider should:
- Ensure staff follow the recording processes for medicines fridges in accordance with the practice cold chain policy. The practice needs to be reassured that fridge temperatures are maintained within range to maintain vaccines and refrigerated medicines fit for purpose.
- Review the outcomes for patients diagnosed with long term mental health problems where national indicators identify below average performance.
- Update the risk assessments for medicines held for use in a medical emergency.
We identified an area of outstanding practice:
- A virtual diabetes clinic was introduced with the local diabetes consultant to improve care for patients diagnosed with diabetes who were having difficulty managing their condition. This has resulted in a 3.6% reduction in the levels of blood sugar (lower blood sugar levels indicate better control of diabetes). Overall the benchmarking showed a 10% improvement in care of patients with diabetes. The improvement has been achieved during a period when the number of patients diagnosed with diabetes increased by 20%. Benchmarking data showed the performance to be the best in the locality.
- Governance processes and procedures to ensure high quality, patient focused, care had been maintained during a period of rapid increase in patient numbers and expansion into a second practice site.
Details of our findings and the evidence supporting the change in rating are set out in the evidence tables.
Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care