Archived: Saintbridge Surgery

Updated 13 May 2016

Saintbridge Surgery is an urban, family GP practice located a short distance from Gloucester town centre. The practice is wheelchair accessible with automatic doors and lifts to the practice.

The practice is approved for training qualified doctors who wish to become GPs and provides general medical services to approximately 8,500 patients. Services to patients are provided under a General Medical Services (GMS) contract with NHS England. (A GMS contract is a contract between NHS England and general practices for delivering general medical services and is the commonest form of GP contract).

The Practice has four GP partners (two female and two male) and one salaried GP (female) which is equivalent to four and a half whole time equivalent GPs. The clinical team includes four practice nurses and two healthcare assistants (all female). The practice management team supporting the GPs comprises of a medical administration line manager, a finance manager, a practice business administrator and a senior receptionist who are supported by eight administrators, six receptionists and two secretaries.

Information from Public Health England 2015 shows the practice has a higher than average patient population aged between 1 to 9 years of age. The general Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) population profile for the geographic area of the practice is in forth most deprivation decile. (An area itself is not deprived: it is the circumstances and lifestyles of the people living there that affect its deprivation score. It is important to remember that not everyone living in a deprived area is deprived and that not all deprived people live in deprived areas). Average male and female life expectancy for the practice is 79 and 84 years, which is comparable to the national averages of 79 and 83 years respectively.

The practice is open between 8.30am and 6.30pm on Monday to Friday. Between 8am and 8.30am every weekday telephone calls are picked up by the reception team and a duty doctor is on site to treat any medical emergencies. Appointments are available between 8.30am and 6pm. Extended surgery hours are also offered on Monday and Wednesday evenings each week between 6.30pm and 7.30pm.

Out of Hours cover is provided by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and can be accessed via NHS 111.

The practice provides its services from the following address:

Saintbridge Surgery

Askwith Road

Gloucester

Gloucestershire

GL4 4SH

This is the first inspection of Saintbridge Surgery.

Updated 13 May 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Saintbridge Surgery on 19 April 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs. The practice had textured surfaces on pavements around the premises and contrasting colour schemes within the practice to help visually impaired patients to find their way into and around the practice safely.
• 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.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• To develop and implement a failsafe system to ensure results were received for all samples sent for the cervical screening programme.

• To review processes for exception reporting to ensure that a GP has oversight and involvement prior to excepting patients.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 13 May 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of patients with long-term conditions.

• Nursing staff had lead roles in chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.

• Performance in 2014/15 for overall diabetes related indicators was 96% which was similar to the clinical commissioning group average of 95% and national average of 89%.

• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.

• All these patients had a named GP and a structured annual review to check their health and medicines needs were being met. For those patients with the most complex needs, the named GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care.

Updated 13 May 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young patients.

• There were systems in place to identify and follow up children living in disadvantaged circumstances and who were at risk, for example, children and young patients who had a high number of A&E attendances. Immunisation rates were relatively high for all standard childhood immunisations.

• Patients told us that children and young patients were treated in an age-appropriate way and were recognised as individuals, and we saw evidence to confirm this.

• The practice’s uptake for women aged 25-64 whose notes record that a cervical screening test has been performed in the preceding five years was 94% which was above the national average of 82%.

• Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies.

• We saw positive examples of joint working with midwives, health visitors and school nurses, meetings were held quarterly.

Updated 13 May 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of older patients.

• The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older patients in its population

• The practice was responsive to the needs of older patients, and offered home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs.

• Weekly meetings took place that included discussions of hospital admissions, hospital discharges and palliative care patients.

• The practice visited five local care homes every two weeks to see patients and carry out annual reviews, medication reviews and end of life planning. Each partner was allocated to a particular care home to ensure continuity of care.

Updated 13 May 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of working-age patients (including those recently retired and students).

• The needs of the working age population, those recently retired and students had been identified and the practice had adjusted the services it offered to ensure these were accessible, flexible and offered continuity of care.

• The practice was proactive in offering online services as well as a full range of health promotion and screening that reflects the needs for this age group.

• Extended hours evening appointments were available twice weekly for working age patients to attend outside of working hours.

• The practice operated a GP telephone triage system which enabled minor issues to be dealt with over the phone.

Updated 13 May 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of patients experiencing poor mental health (including patients living with dementia).

• 69% of patients diagnosed with dementia who had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months (2014/15), which is lower than the national average of 84%.

• Overall performance for mental health related indicators in 2014/15 was 100% compared to the CCG average of 97% and national average of 82%.

• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of patients experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia.

• The practice carried out advance care planning for patients with dementia.

• The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.

• The practice had a system in place to follow up patients who had attended accident and emergency where they may have been experiencing poor mental health.

• Staff had a good understanding of how to support patients with mental health needs and dementia.

Updated 13 May 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of patients whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.

• The practice held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including those with a learning disability.

• The practice offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.

• The practice regularly worked with other health care professionals in the case management of vulnerable patients.

• The practice informed vulnerable patients about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.

• Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse in vulnerable adults and children. Staff were aware of their responsibilities regarding information sharing, documentation of safeguarding concerns and how to contact relevant agencies in normal working hours and out of hours.