We carried out a review of the data available to us about Longtown Medical Centre on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Longtown Medical Centre, you can give feedback on this service.
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Longtown Medical Centre on 3 November 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.
Our key findings were as follows:
Staff throughout the practice worked well together as a team
Staff had received training appropriate to their roles.
We saw several areas of outstanding practice including:
Despite scoring well in the National GP Patient Survey in relation to getting through to the practice on the telephone, a monitoring system had been introduced, which showed, for example, the number of calls waiting and any abandoned calls. Staff told us they wanted to further improve patient access.
Managers were aware of the pressures on general practice and had implemented a ‘change framework’ to aid the practice’s future development. Staff had received training in various areas, including the ‘lean methodology’ (the lean methodology had been adapted by NHS England’s Sustainable Improvement Team and is an approach to improve flow and eliminate waste). This had resulted in a number of areas of waste being identified and actions taken to ultimately improve patient care.For example, staff had reported that patients were not always signposted to the correct service at the correct time; wasting appointment and clinical time. Staff said this could be improved by reception staff asking the right questions when patients contacted the practice. The team worked together and produced a telephone standards guide for staff to follow. The benefits were then analysed, these included, providing the patient with a better experience and better use of time as they would be booked in to see the most appropriate clinician.
However, there were also areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.
The provider should:
Chief Inspector of General Practice
Longtown Medical Centre is based in a modern shared community practice building, where a wide range of other services such as district nurses and health visitors also operate.
There are three GP’s at the service, with one off on long term leave covered by locums. These are supported by two practice nurses, a nurse practitioner, a healthcare assistant, and a team of reception, administrative and management staff.
The service is registered with CQC for the regulated activities of treatment of disease, disorder and injury, and diagnostic and screening services. Maternity, midwifery and family planning services are also registered, as are minor surgical procedures.
People described staff and doctors at the service as caring, conscientious and helpful. Suitable arrangements were in place for people to book appointments in advance and to meet the needs of people who required more urgent appointments’
Appropriate timely referrals and investigations were carried out, and staff supported people to manage and improve their health. The treatment and consulting rooms were clean and tidy. Medical instruments were single use only and disposed of correctly. Other equipment was cleaned and maintained properly.
The practice manager and other staff had developed clear objectives for the future of the practice, and the practice aimed for continuous improvement.