• Doctor
  • GP practice

The Tollesbury Practice Also known as Darcy Surgery

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

25 High Street, Tollesbury, Maldon, Essex, CM9 8RG (01621) 869204

Provided and run by:
The Tollesbury Practice

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 22 April 2020

Tollesbury Surgery is located in central Tollesbury village, Essex, and provides primary care GP services to approximately 4,300 patients living in Tollesbury, Tiptree, Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Tolleshunt Major, Tolleshunt Knights, Heybridge and Peldon areas. The practice is a dispensing practice, providing this service to 40% of their patients.

The practice holds a General Medical Services (GMS) contract with the NHS. This contract outlines the core responsibilities of the practice to meet the needs of patients through the services it provides.

The practice is led by two full time male GPs partners and a part time female GP works with the partners. They are supported clinically with; one nurse practitioner, two nurses, and a health care assistants (all female). There is a practice manager, and a team of administrators and receptionists to support the clinical team.

Life expectancy at the practice is higher for both males and females in comparison to local and national statistics. The practice is situated in an area of low deprivation. The number of patients on the practice list that has long standing health conditions is comparable to those seen locally.

The practice is open from 8am until 6.30pm from Monday to Friday and the Nurse practitioner provides extended hours between 7am and 8am on Monday and Friday. The practice is part of a primary care network (PCN) allowing patients access to appointments between 6.30pm to 8pm from Monday to Fridays in the evenings and from 8am to 8pm on Saturdays and Sundays. This service is provided at a local GP surgery as part of the extended access policy with the NHS.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 22 April 2020

We carried out an inspection of this service due to the length of time since the last inspection. Following our review of the information available to us, including information provided by the practice, we focused our inspection on the following key questions: Effective and Well-led services.

Because of the assurance received from our review of information we carried forward the good ratings for the following key questions: Safe, Caring and Responsive services.

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 safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services and for all the population groups.

We found that:

  • There were effective arrangements to identify, and manage risks.
  • When things went wrong people were given an apology and told about the subsequent action to reduce occurrence.
  • Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver patients; effective, safe, care, support, and treatment.
  • Patients treatment was reviewed regularly to monitor it met their needs.
  • Patients had access to appropriate health assessments and checks.
  • Clinicians supported patients to make decisions about their care and treatment.
  • Patients told us they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
  • The practice organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs that could be accessed in a timely way.
  • 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.
  • Clinical and management leaders at the practice showed they understood the challenges, to provide quality, sustainable care for the practice population.
  • Staff knew and understood the vision and values attributed to care and treatment at the practice.

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

  • Continue to reduce the prescribing of hypnotic medicine.
  • Continue to improve cervical screening uptake.

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