Amherst Medical Practice

Updated 9 July 2015

Amherst Medical Practice is situated in Sevenoaks, Kent and has a registered patient population of approximately 13,000 (6,500 male and 6,500 female). There are approximately 3,200 registered patients under the age of 19 years (1,600 male and 1,600 female), 8,500 registered patients between the age of 20 and 74 years (4,200 male and 4,300 female) and 1,200 registered patients over the age of 75 years (500 male and 700 female).

Primary medical services are provided Monday to Friday between the hours of 8.30am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 6.30pm at Amherst Medical Practice. Services are also provided at the Brasted Surgery Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 12.30pm and 2.30pm to 5pm as well as Friday 8.30am to 12.30pm. Primary medical services are available to patients registered at Amherst Medical Practice at either location via an appointments system. There is a range of clinics for all age groups as well as the availability of specialist nursing treatment and support. There are arrangements with another provider (the 111 service) to deliver services to patients outside of Amherst Medical Practice’s working hours.

The practice staff consisted of eight GP partners (three male and five female), one salaried GP (female) and one trainee GP (female), one practice manager, one nurse practitioner (female), six practice nurses (all female), two healthcare assistant (both female) as well as reception and administration staff. There is a reception and a waiting area on the ground floor. All patient areas are wheelchair accessible.

Services are provided from Amherst Medical Practice, 21 St Boltolph’s Road, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 2RP and Brasted Surgery, High Street, Brasted, Kent, TN16 1HU.

Amherst Medical Practice is a training practice and dispenses medicines from its branch surgery only.

The practice has a general medical services (GMS) contract with NHS England for delivering primary care services to local communities.

Updated 9 July 2015

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Amherst Medical Practice on 4 March 2015. During the inspection we gathered information from a variety of sources. For example; we spoke with patients, members of the patient participation group (PPG), interviewed staff of all levels and checked the right systems and processes were in place.

Overall the practice is rated as good. This is because we found the practice to be good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services. It was also good for providing services for the patient population groups of; older people, people with long-term conditions, families, children and young people, working age people (including those recently retired and students), people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable and people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).

Our key findings were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed. Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Patient’s needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered in line with current legislation. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and training planned.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in decisions about their care and treatment. Information to help patients understand the services available was easy to understand. Staff treated patients with kindness and respect, and maintained confidentiality.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that 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. Information about how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• 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 patient participation group (PPG) was active.

However, there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

The provider SHOULD;

• Ensure that all policies contain relevant information.
• Ensure maintenance of the vaccines cold chain is adequately monitored and recorded.
• Ensure that all staff training records are kept up to date.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 9 July 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long-term conditions. Documents were available that guided staff specifically in the care of patients with long-term conditions. Service provision for patients with long-term conditions included designated clinics with a recall system that alerted patients as to when they were due to re-attend. The practice employed staff trained in the care of patients with long-term conditions. The practice maintained a register of patients with specific long-term conditions such as stroke and asthma. This helped enable the practice to identify these patients and prioritise the care they needed. The practice supported patients to manage their own long-term conditions. Specific health promotion literature was available.

Updated 9 July 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people. Documents were available that guided staff specifically in the care of families, children and young people. Services for mothers, babies, children and young people at Amherst Medical Practice included designated midwives and health visitor care. The practice maintained a register of pregnant patients. This helped enable the practice to identify these patients and prioritise the care they needed. Specific health promotion literature was available. The practice held regular multi-professional staff meetings that included staff who specialised in the care of mothers, babies and children.

Updated 9 July 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people. Patients over the age of 75 had been allocated a designated GP to oversee their individual care and treatment requirements. Patients were able to receive care and treatment in their own home from practice staff as well as district nurses and palliative care staff. There were care plans to help avoid older patients being admitted to hospital unnecessarily. Specific health promotion literature was available as well as details of other services for older people. The practice maintained a register of older patients living in nursing and residential homes. This helped enable the practice to identify these patients and prioritise the care they needed. The practice held regular multi-professional staff meetings that included staff who specialised in the care of older people.

Updated 9 July 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of working age people (including those recently retired and students). The practice provided a variety of ways this patient population group could access primary medical services. These included pre-bookable and book on the day appointments from 8am to 6.30pm each week day, on-line appointment booking and telephone consultations. There was also an on-line repeat prescription service. Specific health promotion literature was available.

Updated 9 July 2015

The practice is rated as good for caring for people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). This patient population group had access to psychiatrist and community psychiatric nurse services as well as local counselling services. The practice maintained a register of patients with specific conditions such as depression and dementia. This helped enable the practice to identify these patients and prioritise the care they needed. Specific health promotion literature was available. Patients on the mental health register received annual reviews to help ensure they were receiving the correct help and that any medicines they were taking remained appropriate and effective. The practice held regular multi-professional staff meetings that included staff who specialised in the care of patients experiencing poor mental health.

Updated 9 July 2015

The practice is rated as good for caring for people living in vulnerable circumstances. The practice offered primary medical service provision for people in vulnerable circumstances in a variety of ways. Patients not registered at the practice could access services. Interpreter services were available for patients whose first language was not English. The practice maintained a register of homeless patients. This helped enable the practice to identify these patients and prioritise the care they needed. Specific health promotion literature was available. Specific screening services were also available.