• Doctor
  • GP practice

Wye Valley Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Wycombe General Hospital, Queen Alexandra Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP11 2TT (01494) 521044

Provided and run by:
Wye Valley Surgery

Important: This service was previously registered at a different address - see old profile

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 16 August 2023

Wye Valley Surgery is a GP practice located within the grounds of Wycombe General Hospital in Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

The practice is situated within the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care System (ICS) and delivers General Medical Services (GMS) to a patient population of approximately 11,940. This is part of a contract held with NHS England. Integrated care systems (ICSs) are partnerships of organisations that come together to plan and deliver joined up health and care services, and to improve the lives of people who live and work in their area.

The practice is also part of a wider network of GP practices, this is known locally as the Dashwood Primary Care Network (PCN) and comprises of 6 GP practices collaboratively working together for a combined population of 55,000 patients.

Services are provided from:

  • Wye Valley Surgery, Wycombe General Hospital, Queen Alexandra Road, High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP11 2TT

The practice website is:

  • www.wyevalleysurgery.co.uk

The provider is registered with CQC to deliver the following Regulated Activities:

  • Diagnostic and screening procedures
  • Family planning services
  • Maternity and midwifery services
  • Surgical procedures
  • Treatment of disease, disorder or injury

Information published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows the age distribution of the registered patients is different when compared to the national averages. The practice population has a significantly higher proportion of female patients aged under 18 when compared to the local PCN and national averages whilst there is a lower proportion of patients aged 65 and over. The practice population has a proportion of patients in 2 local care and nursing homes (approximately 110 registered patients) and also provides GP services to a local girls boarding school (approximately 60 registered patients).

Information published by Office for Health Improvement and Disparities shows that deprivation within the practice population group is in the fourth highest decile (7 of 10). The lower the decile, the more deprived the practice population is relative to others. However, the practice has pockets of high deprivation and the local area experiences challenges including substance misuse and severe mental health problems. People living in more deprived areas tend to have greater need for health services.

There are a high percentage of patients from ethnic minority backgrounds and a large proportion of the patients speak English as a second language. The practice has a transient patient population; patients are often outside of the country for long periods. This has an impact on screening and recall programmes. According to the latest available data, the ethnic make-up of the practice area is 62% White, 27% Asian, 7% Black and 4% Mixed.

There are 8 GPs at the practice who are supported by 2 GP Registrars. The practice is a training practice for GP Registrars. GP Registrars are qualified doctors who undertake additional training to gain experience and qualifications in general practice and family medicine.

Other clinicians at the practice include an Advanced Clinical Practitioner, 7 nurses and a healthcare assistant. The practice also accesses a clinical pharmacist, a nurse associate, a social prescriber, a physiotherapist and a mental health practitioner through the local PCN agreement. A practice manager, deputy manager, patient services manager and a small team of reception and administrative staff undertake the day-to-day management and running of the practice.

The practice has core opening hours between 8.30am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday. The practice offers a range of appointment types including book on the day, telephone consultations and advance appointments. Additional extended access appointments are available every weekday morning (except Thursdays and Friday) from 7.30am, every Monday evening until 8pm, every Wednesday until 7pm and 1 Saturday morning a month between 9am and 1pm.

When the practice is closed out of hours services are provided by FedBucks GP out of hours service which patients can access via the NHS111 service.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 16 August 2023

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Wye Valley Surgery in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire on 8 August 2023. Overall, the practice is rated as Good.

  • Safe: Good
  • Effective: Good
  • Caring: Good
  • Responsive: Good
  • Well-led: Good

The practice has not been inspected under their current registration with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). In June 2019, the practice amended their CQC registration following the relocation of the practice to the current premises. Previously, the practice was inspected in 2018 and the overall rating was Good. The full reports for the previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Wye Valley Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Why we carried out this inspection

This inspection was the first comprehensive inspection under the new CQC registration.

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:

  • Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing facilities
  • Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system (this was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements)
  • Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider
  • Requesting evidence from the provider
  • A short site visit
  • Discussions with patients, practice staff and the external stakeholders

Our findings

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.

We have rated this practice as GOOD overall.

We found that:

  • 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. Clinical searches and medical records we reviewed showed good management and monitoring of high-risk medicines and patients with long-term conditions.

  • Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.

  • Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way, despite rapid growth in the patient list size.

  • The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

  • The practice supported various projects and pilots which demonstrated innovation and improvement, this included participation in a research study to address health inequalities and improve health outcomes for patients within the practice and in the wider South Asian community.

Whilst we found no breaches of regulations, the provider should:

  • Continue to take action to improve the uptake of cervical screening.

  • Continue to take action to identify patients with caring responsibilities.

  • Take steps to restart the patient participation group.

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 Healthcare