• Doctor
  • GP practice

Bridgeside Surgery Also known as Dr S Savvas & Dr R Merritt

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

1 Western Road, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 3DG (01323) 441234

Provided and run by:
Bridgeside Surgery

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 27 January 2020

Bridgeside Surgery is based in Hailsham, East Sussex. Bridgeside Surgery is in the NHS Eastbourne, Hailsham and Seaford clinical commissioning group (CCG). The practice holds a contract to provide general medical services and at the time of our inspection there were approximately 6,200 patients on the practice list. The practice has a slightly higher than average number of children under the age of 18 and a higher than average number of patients over the age of 65. The practice is located in an area that is considered to be in the sixth most deprived centile nationally where one is considered to be the least deprived and 10 the most deprived. The practice has a higher than average proportion of patients who are unemployed and a higher proportion of patients with a long-term health condition when compared to national figures.

The practice is run by three GP partners (two male and one female). The GP partners are supported by a salaried GP (female), a paramedic practitioner (male), two practice nurses, three healthcare assistants and a phlebotomist (all female). Two practice managers and deputy practice

manager are in post along with a small team of clerical and reception staff.

The provider is registered with CQC to deliver the Regulated Activities; diagnostic and screening

procedures, family planning, maternity and midwifery services, surgical procedures and treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

The practice is open between 8.30am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday, telephones are open from 8.00am each morning. Extended hours appointments are offered on a Monday evening and Wednesday morning. Evening and weekend appointments were available through a local extended hours initiative and appointments could be pre-booked through the practice. When the practice is closed patients are advised to call NHS 111 where they will be given advice or directed to the most appropriate service for their medical needs.

The service is provided from the following location:

1 Western Road

Hailsham

East Sussex

BN27 3DG.

Further information about the practice can be found by visiting their website, www.brigesidesurgery.co.uk.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 27 January 2020

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Bridgeside Surgery on 11 March 2019 as part of our inspection programme. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the March 2018 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Bridgeside Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

On 19 June 2019 we carried out a focussed inspection to confirm that the practice was compliant with a warning notice issued following the March 2019 inspection. A warning notice had been issued against regulation 12 (1) (safe care and treatment) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. At this inspection we found the practice to be compliant against the warning notice.

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Bridgeside Surgery on 14 November 2019 as part of our inspection programme.

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 rated the practice as good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services.

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.
  • Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
  • The practice organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs.
  • The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care. The practice had acted to improve their risk management processes and we saw health and safety risk assessments had been carried out and action taken to mitigate the risks.
  • Medicines were stored securely, and cupboards and room doors were seen to be locked. Printer prescriptions were maintained securely, and a log was maintained or this.
  • Non-clinical staff undertaking chaperone duties had received a disclosure and barring service (DBS) check.
  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.
  • Staff worked well together as a team and all felt supported to carry out their roles. There was a strong team ethos and culture of working together.
  • Staff received access to training and support to develop their skills.
  • The practice had utilised the roles of paramedic practitioners to provide care and treatment to patients.

We identified areas where the provider should make improvements:

  • Review the current significant event and complaints processes to ensure learning outcomes and actions are always captured as part of this process.

  • Review the system for managing MHRA alerts to demonstrate oversight of any actions taken in response to each alert.

  • Review the complaints system to ensure all responses to complaints contain signposting the next steps they can take if they are unhappy with the practice response.

  • Review the emergency medicine provision and risk assess the exclusion of medicines for the treatment of epilepsy.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP

Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care