Updated 1 February 2019
Ware Road Surgery is located at 77 Ware Road, Hertford, SG13 7EE. The provider of the service is Generating Healthcare Ltd. Generating Healthcare Ltd is a Federation of 15 NHS GP practices in Hertfordshire which covers approximately 120,000 patients and is managed by a team of GPs as well as practice managers who have the responsibility for developing the organisation. The contract to run Ware Road Surgery was awarded to Generating Healthcare Ltd from 1 April 2017. We did not visit any of the other locations as part of this inspection.
The practice is registered with the CQC to carry out the following regulated activities - diagnostic and screening procedures, surgical procedures, family planning, maternity and midwifery services and treatment of disease, disorder or injury. Services are provided on an Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) contract (a nationally agreed contract) to approximately 5,700 patients. Ware Road Surgery is located within the Hertfordshire local authority and is one of 55 practices serving the NHS East and North Hertfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area.
The practice does not employ any GP partners or salaried GPs. The clinical team is led by a long-term locum GP who provides clinical sessions five days a week. The practice has four regular locum GPs in total providing 15 sessions per week. There are two advanced nurse practitioners providing four sessions a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays and a locum clinical pharmacist who provides two clinical sessions on Fridays. The practice employs a practice nurse, a healthcare assistant, a practice manager, an office manager, seven receptionists, two administrators, two secretaries and one prescription clerk.
Standard appointments are 10 minutes long, with patients being encouraged to book double slots should they have several issues to discuss. Patients who have previously registered to do so may book appointments online. The provider can carry out home visits for patients whose health condition prevents them attending the surgery.
The CCG has commissioned an extended hours service, which operates between 6.30pm and 8pm on weeknights and from 8am to 1pm at weekends. Patients may book appointments with the service by contacting the practice.
The practice has opted out of providing an out-of-hours service. However, the provider is available outside usual surgery hours, with the practice’s phone line being routed to an answering service, which will pass on messages. Otherwise, patients calling the practice when it is closed relate to the local out-of-hours service provider via NHS 111.
The age of the practice population served is comparable to local and national averages. The practice has a slightly higher than average number of patients aged zero to four years old and a slightly lower than average number of patients aged 65 to 84 years old. The practice population is predominantly white British and has a black and minority ethnic population of approximately 5% (2011 census). National data indicates the area is one of low deprivation.