Clinical audit

There are many different types of quality improvement activity (QIA), one example is clinical audit. This is a process or cycle of events that helps ensure patients receive the right care and treatment. Care and services are measured against evidence base standards and changes are implemented to narrow the gap between existing and best practice.

Other examples of quality improvement activity (QIA)

Apart from clinical audit there are other forms of QIA we do which include:

• review of outcomes data
• small scale data searches
• information collection and analysis (Search and Do activities)
• plan/do/study/act (PDSA) cycles
• significant event analysis (SEA) RCGP Quick guide: Significant event analysis – GP Excellence
• large scale national audit
• reflective case reviews
• reflection on formal patient and colleague feedback survey results.

Reflecting on the quality of care provided

We know we can always improve the quality of care provided and this will only happen with an honest and careful review of the care provided with reference to current best practice guidance.

In the “quality improvement activity” section below we record the results of some of our quality improvement activity which is relevant to a wider audience with some of the changes we have made where necessary or appropriate in order to improve. We also overtime revisit these changes to see whether the changes made have resulted in an improvement.

Patient participation group

Our patient participation group review our changes and also whether they have resulted in any long-term improvement, and they would welcome any feedback from you. Please contact them for any feedback, for contact details see under

• Patient Participation Group

Practice data

Under the General practice data hub – NHS Digital you can search for the latest data for our practice in many areas including the following:

• Patients registered at a GP practice (Go to “view the interactive dashboard”, then “13-month time series” and then “select GP practice”)
• Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) – Disease prevalence and care quality achievement rates. (Go to “Open the dashboards” and click on the latest dashboard, then click on “Achievements and PCA: national to practice level”, then select your GP practice. You can find prevalence data by going to the next page)
• Practice level prescribing (Click on “Open the openprescribing.net data hub” and then click on “find a practice”)

NHS digital also provide historical data and trends for the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) care quality achievement rates:

From NHS Digital
Search for GP practice results by entering the name of our practice QOF search | NHS Digital

As NHS digital suggest “The Quality and Outcomes Framework [QOF] is a voluntary annual reward and incentive programme for all GP surgeries in England, detailing practice achievement results. It is not about performance management, but resourcing and rewarding good practice.”

We continually monitor our performance and try to improve in all areas.

Better patient information

We have worked with colleagues and contributed to improving the information available on

• Bucks Health Hub

We have used feedback from

• patient survey ratings
• Input of our Patient Participation Group
• Working with colleagues in our Primary Care Network and other local primary care networks.
• Working with colleagues from other organisations involved in health and social care.

to develop and refine local information and this will be an ongoing process.

We have looked at our telephone system following your feedback and have now installed a cloud based system which offers the option to leave a message for non-urgent queries. Also during Flu season it enables patients to leave a message to book an appointment and the practice will text the patient back with an appointment during one of the flu clinics.

As a Practice we have increased staff, hiring 6 new Salaried GP’s, a Paramedic and through the PCN we have extra support from Clinical Pharmacists, Physician Associate and GP Associate.

Practice Nurses Sarah and Bev have received extensive training recently. Bev is now able to provide extra support regarding Family Planning, she is now able to fit and remove contraceptive devices. Sarah is a qualified Advanced Nurse Practitioner and independent prescriber.

Along with many other surgeries we have been using the AccuRx messaging software to communicate with patients. We have developed our knowledge on this and we now use the software to send questionnaires, batch messages and invitations to our patients.

We are continuously striving to improve our service to enhance patient satisfaction.