Garnet Fold Practice

Updated 31 December 2018

Garnet Fold Practice provides primary medical services in Bolton Monday to Friday. The main site Garnet Fold is open between 8am and 7pm Monday to Thursday and 8am to 6.30pm on Friday. Appointments with a GP are available at various times throughout the mornings and afternoons. The branch site, Southbrook is open each morning from 8.30am to 12.30pm with appointments available with a GP and/or nurse between 8.30am and 11.30am. Telephone consultations are also available each day and the staff who work at the branch site also work at the main site for continuity of care.

Garnet Fold Practice is situated within the geographic area of Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The practice delivers primary care services to a population of 6,500 patients under a General Medical Services (GMS) contract. The GMS contract is the contract between general practices and NHS England for delivering primary care services to local communities. They are situated in an area which is rated fourth most deprived in Greater Manchester based on number one being the most deprived. In general, people living in more deprived areas tend to have greater need for health services.

They are registered to perform the following regulated activities:

• Diagnostic and Screening services
• Maternity and Midwifery
• Surgical Procedures
• Treatment of Disease, Disorder or Injury

There are four GP partners and two salaried GPs (two male and four female), three practice nurses and two health care assistants (one who also works on reception). The clinical team are supported by a practice manager, manager assistant and a team of reception and administration staff.

Updated 31 December 2018

This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous rating 21 October 2015 – 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 Garnet Fold Practice on 20 November 2018 under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. The inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

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 responsive approach to feedback from patients.
• There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• The practice should consider a risk assessment to verify the emergency drugs they have chosen to keep on the premises.
• The practice should consider introducing an up to date incident reporting policy and lower the threshold for formally raising incidents so that all incidents are discussed.
• The practice should consider formally recording when follow up actions have been completed for example those discussed at meetings or required following incidents.
• The practice should consider more structured meeting agendas where all staff are involved.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 31 December 2018

Updated 31 December 2018

Updated 31 December 2018

Updated 31 December 2018

Updated 31 December 2018

Updated 31 December 2018