Briercliffe Surgery - Care Quality Commission

Background to this inspection

Updated 12 July 2016

Briercliffe Surgery is part of the NHS East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Services are provided under a General Medical Services contract with NHS England. The practice confirmed they had 7673 patients on their register.

Information published by Public Health England rates the level of deprivation within the practice population group as level five on a scale of one to ten. Level one represents the highest levels of deprivation and level ten the lowest. Male and female life expectancy in the practice geographical area was similar to the CCG and England average for males at 77 years and 81 years for females.

The practice had one male senior partner and one female GP partner; the senior partner also undertook the role of practice manager. The practice employed one male salaried GP, one male and one female locum GP, two practice nurses, one assistant practitioner, one healthcare assistant, one office manager, one medical informatics manager and 13 reception and administrative staff.

The practice was a teaching practice accepting undergraduate medical students and a training practice for qualified doctors who are training to be a GP.

The practice was open 8.30am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday with extended hours on Mondays until 8.30pm. The practice triaged calls they received and made appointments available on the same day in accordance with assessed need. There was also provision for ill children to be seen the same day and the practice accepted walk-in appointment requests and offered telephone consultations. When the practice was closed out of hours services were provided by East Lancashire Medical Services and contacted by telephoning NHS 111.

The practice provided online patient access that allowed patients to book appointments and order prescriptions and review some of their medical records. Briercliffe Surgery offered a comprehensive range of services and was located in a purpose built building that was also used by other healthcare providers such as mental health and midwifery services. It was fully equipped with facilities for the disabled including disabled parking, access ramps, double doors, disabled toilet, hearing loops in the reception area and a lift.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 12 July 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

This is a focused desk top review of evidence supplied by Briercliffe Surgery for one area only, governance arrangements within the key question Well-led.

We found the practice to be good in providing Well-led services. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

Briercliffe Surgery was inspected on 17 February 2016. The inspection was a comprehensive inspection under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. At that inspection, the practice was rated ‘good’ overall. However, within the key question Well-led, governance arrangements were identified as ‘requires improvement’, as the practice was not meeting the legislation in place at that time; Regulation 17(1)(2)(d)(f) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

The practice has submitted to CQC, a range of documents which demonstrate they are now meeting the requirements of Regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)

Chief Inspector of General Practice