Archived: River Wey Medical Practice

Updated 8 January 2020

River Wey Medical Practice is located within Farnham Centre for Health. It provides GP services to approximately 7,070 patients and is part of North East Hampshire and Farnham clinical commissioning group (CCG). The practice is also part of a federation of five Farnham GP practices, which also formed a primary care network in July 2019. They are also a member of the federation of North East Hampshire and Farnham CCG practices.

The practice has three GP partners (all male), three salaried GPs (all female) and one retainer GP (female). (The retainer GP scheme enables qualified GPs who are unable for the present to commit themselves to a full-time post to continue working in general practice in order to maintain and develop their skills and enter a permanent post when their circumstances permit). Between them they provide a whole time equivalent (WTE) of 3.9 full time GPs. The nursing team consists of two practice nurses (WTE 1.24). The practice is a training practice for trainee GPs (a qualified doctor who is undertaking additional training to become a GP). There was one trainee GP working at the practice at the time of this inspection.

The clinical team are supported by a practice manager, a personal assistant to the practice manager, an IT & office manager, a reception manager, deputy reception manager, a practice secretary, five receptionists and four administration staff.

The practice is located inside a hospital facility where patients can access phlebotomy services and X-ray facilities, when necessary. There is also an on-site ultrasound service (provided by an external stakeholder) to which patients can be quickly referred.

The federation of five Farnham GP practices had implemented an integrated care team and anticipatory intervention meeting team to assess patients requiring additional services or support. They also had arrangements for allied healthcare professionals to provide care to patients of River Wey Medical Practice, including a heart failure nurse, a paramedic home visiting service, dementia link practitioner, mental health practitioner and social prescribing service. Patients could also access same day GP and nurse appointments and extended hours appointments via the federation.

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.

There are higher than average number of patients over the age of 65. The National General Practice Profile states that 5% of the practice population originates from black, mixed or other non-white ethnic groups. Information published by Public Health England, rates the level of deprivation within the practice population group as ten, on a scale of one to ten. Level one represents the highest levels of deprivation and level ten the lowest. Male life expectancy is 81 years compared to the national average of 79 years. Female life expectancy is 85 years compared to the national average of 83 years.

River Wey Medical Practice has been inspected before. You can view the previous reports by selecting the “all reports” link for River Wey Medical Practice on the CQC website.

Updated 8 January 2020

We carried out an announced focused inspection at River Wey Medical Practice on 20 November 2019 as part of our inspection programme. We last inspected River Wey Medical Practice on 2 October 2014 when the practice was rated good overall.

We decided to undertake an inspection of this service following our annual review of the information available to us. This inspection looked at the Effective and Well led key questions. We did not check whether this practice was providing safe, caring and responsive services at this inspection because our monitoring of the practice indicated no significant change since the last inspection (October 2014).

The rating of Good for the key questions of Safe, Caring and Responsive, has been carried forward from the last inspection.

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 and good for all population groups.

We found that:

• Learning and development was promoted and provided for all staff.
• All staff at the practice were active in ensuring sustainable high quality care was provided to all patients.
• The practice was aware of areas of patient care requiring attention and had plans in place to manage these. For example, cervical screening uptake rates.
• The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centred care.
• Patient feedback was positive about the practice.

We found one area of outstanding practice:

• After a review of their childhood immunisations, the practice had recognised a poor uptake of nasal flu for two and three year olds. The practice arranged a teddy bear clinic to encourage children aged two and three to attend for their nasal flu vaccine. Children brought their teddy bears and the practice waiting room was arranged to be age appropriate with a child size table and chairs with drinks and snacks. The practice told us approximately 60 children attended to receive their nasal flu vaccine in one day which had improved their uptake rates from the previous year from 22% to 32%. The coverage would have been higher if more flu vaccine had been available for the clinic.

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

• Continue to monitor and improve cervical screening rates to achieve the NHS England 80% target.
• Develop a system for ensuring each cervical screening sample sent, receives a result.

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

Updated 8 January 2020

Updated 8 January 2020

Updated 8 January 2020

Updated 8 January 2020

Updated 8 January 2020

Updated 8 January 2020