Ashcroft Surgery

Background to this inspection

Updated 6 April 2017

Ashcroft Surgery is a small rural GP dispensing practice located in purpose built premises in Wing, the village between Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire and Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. Ashcroft Surgery is one of the practices within Aylesbury Vale Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and provides general medical services to approximately 3,950 registered patients. A CCG is a group of general practices that work together to plan and design local health services in England. They do this by 'commissioning' or buying health and care services.

Services are provided from:

Ashcroft Surgery, Stewkley Road, Wing, Near Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 0NE.

There are also two outreach clinics in two nearby villages:

Cheddington (Methodist Church), The Green, Cheddington, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 0RJ.
Stewkley (Pavillion), Soulbury Road, Stewkley, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire LU7 0HN.

According to data from the Office for National Statistics, Wing and the surrounding villages have high levels of affluence, low incidence of substance misuse, low incidence of severe mental health problems and low levels of deprivation.

Ethnicity based on demographics collected in the 2011 census shows the population of Wing and the surrounding villages is predominantly White British. The practice population has a lower proportion of patients aged between 20 and 39 years when compared to the local CCG and national averages whilst there is a higher proportion of patients aged between 45 and 74 years. Ashcroft Surgery also provides GP services to a local residential home (38 patients).

Over the previous three years Ashcroft Surgery has seen a significant amount of change, including changes of some of the key members of staff including GP Partners and the practice manager.

The practice comprises of one GP (a male GP) who is supported by two salaried GPs (both female). The all-female nursing team consists of one practice nurse and one health care assistant.

The practice manager, together with a team of reception and administrative staff they undertake the day to day management and running of the practice.

One of the GPs is the designated dispensary lead and the dispensary team consists of a dispensary manager, two dispensers and an assistant dispenser who also performs reception duties.

Ashcroft Surgery is open between 8.30am and 6pm Monday to Friday with a range of appointments between 8.45am and 6pm. During the period between 8am and 8.30am and 6pm and 6.30pm, the Duty GP provides emergency arrangements to patients contacting the practice.

GP consultations at the two outreach clinics are available every Tuesday, in Cheddington between 9am and 9.30am and Stewkley between 11am and 12 noon. There were no extended hour’s surgeries available. The dispensary has core opening hours between 9am and 6pm every weekday.

The practice has opted out of providing the out-of-hours service. This service is provided by the out-of-hours service accessed via the NHS 111 service. Advice on how to access the out-of-hours service is clearly displayed on the practice website, on both practices door and over the telephone when the surgery is closed.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 6 April 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

At our previous comprehensive inspection at Ashcroft Surgery in Wing, Bedfordshire on 27 September 2016 we found two breaches of regulations relating to the provision of safe and effective services. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. Specifically, Ashcroft Surgery was rated requires improvement for providing safe and effective services and good for the provision of caring, responsive and well-led services. The full comprehensive report on the September 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Ashcroft Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was a desk-based review carried out on 27 March 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection in September 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

We found the practice had made improvements since our last inspection. Using information provided by the practice we found the practice was now meeting the regulations that had previously been breached. We have amended the rating for this practice to reflect these changes. The practice is now rated good for the provision of safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led services. All six population groups have also been re-rated following these improvements and are also rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

The practice had assessed what emergency medicines should be available and increased awareness to ensure staff knew the location of the emergency medicines. The practice had the appropriate medicines available to respond to medical emergencies.

Appropriate appraisal arrangements were now in place, appraisals had been completed and there was evidence of performance monitoring and identification of personal and professional development.

The practice had taken steps to increase the number of identified patients with caring responsibilities within the practice population. In March 2017, the practice patient population list was 3,950. The practice had identified 63 patients, who were also a carer; this was an increase from 39 identified carers at the September 2016 inspection and amounted to approximately 1.5% of the practice list. Each month the practice was identifying more and advising them of the various avenues of support available from the practice, the local council and charities and voluntary organisations such as The Alzheimer’s Society where appropriate.

The practice had increased the promotion of the NHS Friends and Family Test within the practice and was taking appropriate action with a view to monitor the patient experience. Practice staff had actively promoted completion of this test and other patient experience tools. Initially participation was slow with only six cards completed in the two month period of November 2016 and December 2016. This improved in January 2017 with 13 feedback cards completed.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice