Background to this inspection
Updated
6 February 2019
Eaton Socon Health Centre, is located at Great North Road, Eaton Socon, St Neots, Cambridgeshire and provides services mainly to patients living in Eaton Socon and the surrounding area. The surgery has good transport links and has a co-located pharmacy within the building.
The practice has recently become part of the Lakeside Healthcare Partnership and was inspected as part of the provider inspection. As part of this merger it has become part of a ‘St Neots Hub’ which includes Cedar House Surgery and there are plans to combine both the workforce and the patient list creating a single practice across two sites.
The clinical team comprises of nine GPs, three nurses and three health care assistants (HCAs). The clinical team is supported by a practice manager, and an administrative and reception team.
The practice is registered with the CQC to carry out the following regulated activities - diagnostic and screening procedures, treatment of disease, disorder or injury, surgical procedures, family planning, maternity and midwifery services and treatment of disease, disorder or injury.
The practice is a training practice and provided training to doctors learning to become GPs. The practice has a patient population of approximately 11900. The practice is open every weekday between 8.30am and 6pm. Extended hours are provided on Thursday evenings until 8.30pm. The practice website clearly details how patients may obtain services out-of-hours.
Updated
6 February 2019
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Eaton Socon Health Centre on 3 December 2018 as part of our inspection of the provider (Lakeside Healthcare Partnership).
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 all population groups.
This means that:
- We found effective systems were in place to promote adult and child safeguarding, however, not all staff were up to date on their safeguarding refresher training.
- The provider’s performance in the 2017-18 Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) was generally in alignment with local and national averages with the exception of one asthma indicator.
- The practice was proactive in managing child immunisations and worked closely with the health visiting team to ensure vulnerable patients were included.
- There had been changes made to bring antimicrobial prescribing in line with local and national averages and this was continuing to demonstrate improvement.
- Complaints were managed appropriately.
- There was a scheduled audit plan in place and audits showed patient care was improved as a result.
- We found an open and supportive culture within the practice. Staff felt valued and told us they found the GPs and nurses to be accessible and approachable.
- The provider and the practice had a clear vision and values in place and staff were observed to act in line with them.
We rated the practice as requires improvement for providing well-led services because:
- The overall governance arrangements were not always effective. There was not always the capacity to ensure oversight of areas such as risk, staff training and appraisals.
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
- Consider an effective process, to ensure staff training, the practice deems as mandatory is up to date.
- Continue to improve the identification of carers to enable this group of patients to access the care and support they require.
- Continue to monitor and improve levels of patient satisfaction, in particular in relation to access.
- Consider an effective system to monitor and embed NICE guidance in clinical practice.
Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.
Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice
Working age people (including those recently retired and students)
Updated
6 February 2019
People experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia)
Updated
6 February 2019
People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable
Updated
6 February 2019