Dr Reidy & Partners

Background to this inspection

Updated 13 March 2017

Dr Reidy & Partners provides GP services to 11,000 patients from two sites, Desborough Surgery and Hazlemere Surgery.

Services are provided from:

Desborough Surgery, Desborough Avenue, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP11 2SD

Hazlemere Surgery, 2a Roberts Ride, Hazlemere, Buckinghamshire HP15 7AD

The Hazlemere surgery is four miles away, in a village just outside the town of High Wycombe.

The practice has two male GP partners and four female salaried GPs, equivalent in total to 4.7 whole time doctors. It uses locums on an occasional basis to cover leave and sickness. There are four nurses, equivalent to 2.5 whole time, one healthcare assistant, and 19 administration, reception and support staff, including a practice manager and deputy practice manager.

Although patients are able to attend either site, owing to the distance between them, the surgeries serve significantly different populations. Desborough Surgery is based in central High Wycombe and patients who chose to attend this surgery include a significant number from the town’s Asian population, many of whom are relatively new to the UK and have a first language other than English.

Hazlemere Surgery is based in Hazlemere village, and serves a more settled and older population. Overall, the practice serves an area with a low level of deprivation, with an Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) decile of nine out of 10. However, there are pockets of deprivation, especially in the urban area served by the Desborough Surgery. The practice has seen a significant increase in its patient list in the last four years, from fewer than 10,000 in 2012 to 11,000 in 2016. A recent review of its patient list shows that about one third of its patients are White British, one third from the South Asian subcontinent, and one third from other ethnic backgrounds. The practice provides service to a local nursing home which cares for 64 elderly residents with dementia, physical disability and sensory impairment.

Desborough Surgery was purpose-built in the early 1990’s over four floors with stair and lift access to two small waiting areas, two GP consulting rooms and three nurse treatment rooms. The practice is planning refurbishment of the reception and waiting areas. This will provide more waiting space for patients, improved accessibility to the front desk, and a confidential area.

Hazlemere Surgery was built in the late 1990’s over three floors with stair and lift access. There is one main waiting room on the ground floor, with smaller waiting areas on the first and lower ground floors. There are three consulting rooms and four treatment rooms.

Both surgeries are open all day from 8.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday, with GP appointments available between 9am to 12pm and 1pm to 6pm daily. It has an emergency telephone number available every weekday morning from 8am to 8.30am, and a designated emergency GP available every weekday evening from 6pm to 6.30pm. The practice also runs an extended hours surgery each Saturday from 8.10am to 12pm, alternating between the two sites.

The practice has opted out of providing out of hours services to their patients. The out of hours service is provided by Buckinghamshire Urgent Care and is accessed by calling NHS 111. Advice on how to access the out of hours service is contained in the practice leaflet, on the patient website and on a recorded message when the practice was closed.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 13 March 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

In May 2016 we found concerns related to governance arrangements and supporting processes during a comprehensive inspection of Dr Reidy & Partners, more commonly known as Desborough and Hazlemere Surgery in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire. Following the inspection the provider sent us an action plan detailing how they would improve the areas of concern.

On the previous inspection in May 2016, we found one breach of the regulation relating to good governance. The full comprehensive report on the May 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Dr Reidy & Partners on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

We carried out a follow up inspection of the practice on 8 February 2017 to ensure these changes had been implemented and that the service was meeting the requirements of the regulations.

The ratings for the practice have been updated to reflect our findings following the improvements made since our last inspection and the practice is now meeting the regulation that had previously been breached.

Specifically the practice was:

Managing high risk medicines in a safe and effective way. Furthermore, processes supporting high risk medicines had been strengthened and patients were having their treatment reviewed within the appropriate timescales.

Operating safe systems in relation to health and safety. The practice had established and was now operating an effective system to assess, manage and mitigate the risks identified relating to legionella and infection control.

Effectively managing training arrangements, which were consistent and embedded across all staff groups. Personal and professional development was managed and recorded on a system which identified when staff had training and when it would need to be refreshed.

Managing an overarching governance framework which supported the delivery of the strategy and good quality care. Arrangements had been made which reviewed, updated and amended policies in light of changes within legislation.

The practice had taken full heed of the findings of the inspection undertaken in May 2016 and is now rated good for the provision of safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led services. All six population groups have also been re-rated following these improvements and are also rated as good.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice