The Care Quality Commission
  • Doctor
  • GP practice

Taunton Vale Healthcare Also known as Blackbrook Surgery and Victoria Gate Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Lisieux Way, Taunton, Somerset, TA1 2LB (01823) 259444

Provided and run by:
Taunton Vale Healthcare

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Taunton Vale Healthcare on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.

This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.

If you have concerns about Taunton Vale Healthcare, you can give feedback on this service.

07 Nov to 07 Nov 2018

During an inspection looking at part of the service

This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous rating 06 2018 – Good overall with requires improvement for safe).

The key question at this inspection are rated as:

Are services safe? - Good

We carried out an announced focused inspection at Taunton Vale Healthcare on 7 November 2018 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in Regulation 12 HSCA (RA) Regulations 2014: Safe care and treatment that we identified. And the areas where the provider should make improvements identified in our previous inspection in June 2018. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements.

The full comprehensive report on the June 2018 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Taunton Vale Healthcare on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

At this inspection we found:

  • The practice had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
  • The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence-based guidelines. They had implemented changes to demonstrate that they had a culture of high-quality sustainable care.
  • There was a focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • Improve the completion of the provider’s mandatory training program such as fire safety.
  • Review and continue to monitor cervical smear screening to meet Public Health England screening rates.
  • Risk assess the storing of blank prescription paper in terms of unsupervised cleaner access to clinical rooms.
  • Continue to improve the completion of patient quality indicators in the care and treatment of patients with long-term conditions and those with mental health.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice

Please refer to the detailed report and the evidence tables for further information.

6 Jun to 7 Jun 2018

During a routine inspection

This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous rating December 2014 – Good)

The key questions at this inspection are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? - Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Taunton Vale Healthcare on 6 and 7 June 2018 as part of our inspection programme. During this inspection we visited the registered location, Blackbrook Surgery and the branch surgery, Victoria Gate Surgery.

At this inspection we found:

  • The practice had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
  • The practice reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
  • Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
  • Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care when they needed it.
  • There was a focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

  • Improve audits to include a practice led full cycle annual audit programme and evidence of changes to practice as a result of clinical audits.
  • Implement regular documented fire drills.
  • Implement actions to improve national targets (QOF) and clinical management of long term conditions.
  • Improve the oversight and recording of mandatory training.

The area where the provider must make improvements are:

  • Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients with regards to infection prevention and control.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice

Please refer to the detailed report and the evidence tables for further information.

13 November & 10 December 2014

During a routine inspection

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We commenced an announced visit on 13 November 2014 but had to postpone our inspection due to a power failure. We returned to complete our inspection on 10 December 2014. We inspected Blackbrook Surgery as part of our new comprehensive inspection programme.

Overall we found the practice is rated as good. We saw many examples of a safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led practice. Patients reported high levels of satisfaction with the practice during our inspection and this was reflected in the comment cards we also received.

Our key findings were as follows:

  • Staff understood their responsibilities to raise concerns and to report incidents to staff with lead responsibility in these areas. Lessons were learned and communicated to support improvement. Information about safety was recorded, monitored appropriately, reviewed and addressed. Risks to patients were assessed and well managed. There were enough staff to keep patients safe.
  • Systems were in place to ensure all clinicians were up to date with both National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines and locally agreed guidelines. We saw evidence to confirm these guidelines were positively influencing and improving practice and outcomes for patients. Data from the most recent Quality Outcomes Framework (QOF) showed that the practice was performing in line with neighbouring practices in the clinical commissioning group (CCG). The practice was using a range of methods to improve patient outcomes and it linked with other local providers in the Taunton and Deane Federation to share best practice.
  • Data from the most recent GP patient survey showed patients rated the practice higher than others for several aspects of care. Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in decisions about their care and treatment. We also saw staff treated patients with kindness and respect and maintained confidentiality.
  • The practice reviewed the needs of its local population and engaged with key organisations to secure improvements to services. 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 appropriate facilities and was suitably equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
  • The practice had a clear vision which had been produced with stakeholders and was regularly reviewed and discussed with staff. Governance and performance management arrangements had been proactively reviewed and took account of current models of best practice. There was constructive engagement with staff and a high level of staff satisfaction. The practice gathered feedback from patients using available technology, and it had a virtual patient participation group.

We saw areas of outstanding practice including:

  • The practice kept a record of ‘soft’ concerns about patients, these were reported to a named GP and reviewed to identify where formal reporting such as safeguarding concerns, may be required.
  • The practice met with staff from residential or nursing homes every 6 months to discuss patients changing needs, identify where staff required skills updates and to improve collaborative working.
  • Patients with hearing loss were provided with alternative appointment booking facilities for example, text and email communications.
  • A dedicated carers champion was employed by the practice. They actively identified carers of older and vulnerable patients to ensure records reflected the caring role and the carer was provided with advice and support to help maintain their caring role.

In addition the provider should:

  • Ensure stocks of medicines are accounted for to keep a more accurate record of what had been used and what needs to be ordered.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice