Sabden & Whalley Medical Group

Updated 23 May 2017

Sabden and Whalley Medical Group provides primary medical care services to around 12,604 patients in the rural villages of Sabden and Whalley under a general medical services (GMS) contract with NHS England. The practice is located within East Lancashire and is part of East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and has formed a local federation with two local practices.

The main site is Whalley Surgery, King Street, Whalley, Clitheroe BB7 9SL. This is a purpose built primary health care building which has been extended three times to expand with the population. There are nine consulting rooms, a treatment room and minor surgery suite and a dispensary. The branch surgery in Sabden has one consulting room, a treatment room and a dispensary. Both buildings are owned by the GP partners and were visited as part of this inspection.

The practice clinical team consists of five GP partners three male and two female, two salaried female GPs; four female practice nurses and two female health care assistants. The clinical team is supported by a practice manager, 10 administrative and reception staff and six dispensary staff. The practice is also a training practice for trainee GPs.

The practice is open Mondays 8am until 8pm and Tuesdays to Fridays 8am until 6.30pm.

The practice population differs from an average practice population, with fewer children aged 9 and under than average, more 10 to 19 year olds and far less 20 to 39 year olds than average. There are considerably more patients aged 44 to 54 years and 65 to 69 years old than average. The practice has a very low mix of ethnicities with the vast majority of patients being white British. The practice has a low prevalence of many long-term conditions and has undertaken work to validate and review chronic disease prevalence.

Life expectancy is higher for patients at this practice than local and national averages, with an average male life expectancy of 80 years, which his above the CCG average of 77 years and England average of 79 years. Female life expectancy is 84 years, which is also above the CCG average of 81 years and England national average of 83 years. The practice has a low deprivation rate, recorded in NHS England data as ten on a scale of one to 10 (level one represents the highest levels of deprivation and level 10 the lowest). The practice population in 2014-2015 was recorded as 63% in paid work or education, which is above the CCG average of 57%.

Out of hours treatment is provided by East Lancashire Medical Services Ltd which patients access by calling 111.

Updated 23 May 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Sabden and Whalley Medical Group on 26 September 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good with the key question of safe rated as requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the 26 September 2016 inspection can be found on our website at http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-545680228

This inspection was a desk-based review carried out on 18 April 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breach in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 26 September 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is now rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• At the inspection in September 2016 we found that liquid nitrogen storage was not risk assessed and clear operating procedures covering: filling containers, hazard signage, safe disposal, use of personal protective equipment and action to take in event of an emergency or spillage were not in place. At this inspection we saw the practice had risk assessed the storage of liquid nitrogen appropriately and trained staff and produced protocols in relation to its use.

• During our inspection in September 2016, we saw that there was no legionella risk assessment for the surgery. For this inspection we were sent evidence that a legionella risk assessment had been undertaken and that water samples taken in September 2016 contained no trace of the bacteria.

• During our inspection in September 2016 we saw that cleaning of the practice was not permanently recorded. Documents were now available which showed an auditable record of cleaning of the practice.

• During our inspection in September 2016 we found that clinical audits were not full cycle to demonstrate continuous quality improvement in patient outcomes. The practice provided us with plans for a number of full cycle clinical audits to be completed in 2017.

During our inspection in September 2016 we told the practice they should review the use of chaperones, local policy and national guidance to determine whether current procedures are in line with best practice. The practice sent us a document used to train staff members to chaperone, told us they continued to ensure these staff members had received a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and confirmed they promoted this service to patients.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 23 May 2017

The provider had resolved the concerns for safe practice identified at our inspection on 26 September 2016 which applied to everyone using this practice, including this population group. The overall population group ratings have not been impacted and the rating for this group remains the same. The specific findings relating to this population group can be found at http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-545680228

Updated 23 May 2017

The provider had resolved the concerns for safe practice identified at our inspection on 26 September 2016 which applied to everyone using this practice, including this population group. The overall population group ratings have not been impacted and the rating for this group remains the same. The specific findings relating to this population group can be found at http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-545680228

Updated 23 May 2017

The provider had resolved the concerns for safe practice identified at our inspection on 26 September 2016 which applied to everyone using this practice, including this population group. The overall population group ratings have not been impacted and the rating for this group remains the same. The specific findings relating to this population group can be found at http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-545680228

Updated 23 May 2017

The provider had resolved the concerns for safe practice identified at our inspection on 26 September 2016 which applied to everyone using this practice, including this population group. The overall population group ratings have not been impacted and the rating for this group remains the same. The specific findings relating to this population group can be found at http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-545680228

Updated 23 May 2017

The provider had resolved the concerns for safe practice identified at our inspection on 26 September 2016 which applied to everyone using this practice, including this population group. The overall population group ratings have not been impacted and the rating for this group remains the same. The specific findings relating to this population group can be found at http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-545680228

Updated 23 May 2017

The provider had resolved the concerns for safe practice identified at our inspection on 26 September 2016 which applied to everyone using this practice, including this population group. The overall population group ratings have not been impacted and the rating for this group remains the same. The specific findings relating to this population group can be found at http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-545680228