The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Alconbury & Brampton Surgeries

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

The Surgery, School Lane, Alconbury, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, PE28 4EQ (01480) 890281

Provided and run by:
Drs Rea, Outram, Bhimpuria, Patel & Thompson

All Inspections

03 August 2022

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We carried out an announced focused inspection at Alconbury & Brampton Surgeries on 3 August 2022. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

Safe - Good

Effective – Good

Caring – Good (carried forward from previous inspection)

Responsive – Good (carried forward from previous inspection)

Well-led - Good

Following our previous inspection on 16 December 2016 the practice was rated Good overall and for all key questions.

The ratings for the key questions caring and responsive are carried forward from the previous inspection, these key questions have not been included in this report due to our methodology and no risk identified during the monitoring process.

The full reports for previous inspections can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Alconbury & Brampton Surgeries on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Why we carried out this inspection

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services which have had a recent Direct Monitoring Approach (DMA) assessment where no further action was needed to seek assurance about this decision and to identify learning about the DMA process.

How we carried out the inspection

Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, taking into account the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections differently.

This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements.

This included:

  • Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing
  • Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system and discussing findings with the provider
  • Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider
  • Requesting evidence from the provider
  • A short site visit
  • Staff questionnaires

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.
  • The system for ensuring all emergency equipment were safe to use required strengthening.
  • Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
  • The practice adjusted how it delivered services to meet the needs of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
  • The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

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

  • Continue to improve the uptake of cervical screening.
  • Continue to monitor and improve prescribing of antibacterial drugs.
  • Review and improve systems to ensure all emergency equipment is safe to use.

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 Hospitals and Interim Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services

30/11/2016

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of this practice on 24 November 2015.

During the initial inspection we found areas where improvements should be made:

  • The practice should improve the way it manages patients on medicines that require regular blood testing and monitoring.
  • The practice should improve the way it implements and reviews action taken in light of The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) alerts to ensure patient safety.
  • The practice should improve the security of prescription forms throughout the practice in line with national guidance (NHS Protect Security of Prescription Forms Guidance).
  • The practice should ensure that it records any action it takes in response to the non-attendance of a child at a hospital appointment in the child’s notes.

The practice told us these issues would be addressed and provided us with evidence to show they had taken the action to address the concerns.

We undertook a focussed follow up inspection on 30 November 2016 to make a judgement about whether their actions had addressed the areas highlighted.

The overall rating for the practice is good. You can read our previous report by selecting the ‘all reports' link for on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

24 November 2015

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Alconbury & Brampton Surgeries on 24 November 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

  • There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.

  • Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

  • Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.

  • The dispensary was well run and people received their medication in a safe and timely way.

  • There were high levels of patient satisfaction with the service demonstrated by the National GP Survey, the 46 comments cards we received and from the patients we spoke with on the day of our inspection

  • Patients with caring responsibilities were proactively identified and supported by practice staff.

  • Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand, and complaints were dealt with in a timely way.

  • Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.

  • The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.

  • There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice including:

  • The practice had a very active and involved patient participation group which raised money for equipment and ran a voluntary patient transport service. The practice had facilitated patient education meetings on issues such as carers’ needs, smoking cessation and with the diabetic nurse specialist.

  • The practice ran an award scheme which recognised good work amongst its staff team.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

  • The practice should improve the way it manages patients on medicines that require regular blood testing and monitoring.

  • The practice should improve the way it implements and reviews action taken in light of MHRA alerts to ensure patient safety.

  • The practice should improve the security of prescription forms throughout the practice in line with national guidance (NHS Protect Security of Prescription Forms Guidance).

  • The practice should ensure that it records any action it takes in response to the non-attendance of a child at a hospital appointment in the child’s notes.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice