Farnham Dene Medical Practice

Updated 13 September 2016

Farnham Dene Medical Practice offers personal medical services to the population of Farnham. There are approximately 1200 registered patients. Farnham Dene Medical Practice is run by six partner GPs. The practice is also supported by four salaried GPs, two GP Registrars (GPs in training), four practice nurses, one healthcare assistant, a phlebotomist, a team of receptionists, administrative staff, a reception manager, an assistant practice manager and a practice manager. There are three male and nine female GPs. At the time of the inspection in 2015, one of the GPs was leaving the practice as a partner and a salaried GP was being registered as a new partner. We saw evidence to this effect.

The practice runs a number of services for it patients including asthma clinics, child immunisation clinics, diabetes clinics, new patient checks and holiday vaccinations and advice. Services are provided at Farnham Dene Medical Practice, Farnham Centre For Health, Hale Road, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 9QS Opening hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 6:30pm. The practice has opted out of providing Out of Hours services to their patients. There are arrangements for patients to access care from an Out of Hours provider.

The practice population has a higher number of patients between nought - 14 and 35 - 64 years of age than the national and local CCG average. The practice population also shows a lower number of 15-34 and 70-74 year olds than the national and local CCG average, with a significantly lower proportion of 24-34 year olds. There are a slightly lower number of patients with a long standing health condition and also a lower than average number of patients with caring responsibilities or with a health care problem in daily life. The percentage of registered patients suffering deprivation (affecting both adults and children) is lower than the average for England.

Updated 13 September 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced focused inspection of Farnham Dene Medical Practice, Farnham Centre for Health, Farnham, Surrey, GU9 9QS on 28 June 2016. The inspection was undertaken to check that the practice was making improvements following an inspection on 24 September 2015 where we found breaches in regulations relating to safe delivery of services. At the inspection on 24 September 2015, the practice was rated good overall and good for providing effective, caring, responsive and well-led services. The practice was rated as requires improvement for safe.

We found the practice had made improvements since our last inspection on 24 September 2015 and was meeting the regulations that had previously been breached.

Our key findings for this review were as follows:

• The practice had reviewed and implemented changes to the recording of their cleaning schedule for equipment used.

• The practice had ensured all Patient Group Directions (PDGs) had been signed by staff authorised to administer vaccines.

We have amended the rating for this practice to reflect these changes. The practice is now rated as good for the provision of safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services. The overall rating for the practice remains good.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 3 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long-term conditions. Nursing staff had lead roles in chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority. Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed. All these patients had a named GP and a structured annual review to check that their health and medicine needs were being met. For those people with the most complex needs, the named GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care. The practice had trained nurses in diabetes and asthma and ran dedicated clinics.

Updated 3 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people. There were systems in place to identify and follow up children living in disadvantaged circumstances and who were at risk, for example, children and young people who had a high number of A&E attendances. Immunisation rates were good for all standard childhood immunisations. Patients told us that children and young people were treated in an age-appropriate way and were recognised as individuals, and we saw evidence to confirm this. Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies. The practice held dedicated children’s flu clinics and had a nurse trained for children’s phlebotomy.

Updated 3 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people. Nationally reported data showed that outcomes for patients were good for conditions commonly found in older people. The practice offered continuity of care with a named GP. Elderly patients with complex care needs and those at risk of hospital admission all had personalised care plans that were shared with local organisations to facilitate the continuity of care. For example, dementia and end of life care. It was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and rapid access appointments for those with enhanced needs. The practice worked closely with Farnham Connections (which is a charity working with older people) which staff could refer to. Many of the staff had been trained as dementia friends and the practice held sessions for staff, patients and family members to attend. A practice nurse was responsible for elderly and dementia care, providing health checks and dementia reviews in the surgery or in the patient’s home.

Updated 3 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of working-age people (including those recently retired and students). The needs of the working age population, those recently retired and students had been identified and the practice had adjusted the services it offered to ensure these were accessible, flexible and offered continuity of care. The practice was proactive in offering online services as well as a full range of health promotion and screening that reflected the needs for this age group. GPs and nurses offered advice by telephone each day for those patients who had difficulty in attending the practice. Practice staff carried out NHS health checks for patients between the ages of 40 and 74 years.

Updated 3 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). The practice offered continuity of care with a named GP. Patients with severe mental health needs had care plans and received annual physical health checks. The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia. The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations. Many of the staff had been trained as dementia friends and the practice held information sessions for staff, patients and family members to attend. A practice nurse was responsible for elderly and dementia care, providing health checks and dementia reviews in the surgery or in the patient’s home.

Updated 3 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. The practice offered continuity of care with a named GP. The practice held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including those with a learning disability. It offered longer appointments and carried out annual health checks for people with a learning disability. The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people. It had told vulnerable patients how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations. Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse in vulnerable adults and children. Staff were aware of their responsibilities regarding information sharing, documentation of safeguarding concerns and how to contact relevant agencies in normal working hours and out of hours.