Bugbrooke Surgery Also known as Bugbrooke Medical Practice

Updated 21 July 2016

Bugbrooke Surgery is located in the village of Bugbrooke and provides primary medical care to people who live in surrounding villages. There are approximately 10,050 patients registered at the practice. The practice holds a General Medical Services (GMS) contract, a nationally agreed contract commissioned by NHS England.

The practice is managed by four GP partners (two male, two female) GPs who between them provide 32 clinical sessions per week. They are supported by four practice nurses who carry out reviews of patients who have long term conditions such as, diabetes. They also provide cervical screening and contraceptive advice. There are two health care assistants (HCA) who carry out duties such as, limited phlebotomy, health checks and dressings. The practice employs a practice manager, an assistant practice manager, a reception manager, six receptionists and four administrators.

The practice offers a range of clinics for chronic disease management, diabetes, heart disease, cervical screening, contraception advice, minor surgery, injections and vaccinations.

The practice is a designated training practice for trainee GPs. These are qualified doctors who are learning the role of a GP. They currently have four qualified doctors (registrar) who are working at the practice and receiving GP training. The doctors are providing a total of 30 clinical sessions a week.

The practice is open from 7.30am until 7pm each day and closing at the later time of 8pm every Monday. Phone lines are open 8am until 12pm and from 2pm until 6.30pm. During lunch time’s patients who ring and are asked to ring a mobile number. This puts patients through to a receptionist who will deal with the call.

Appointments are available from 8am until 12.20pm and from 2pm until 6.20pm each day and 7.45pm on Mondays. The practice operates a triage system for those patients who request a same day appointment. This means that a GP will contact the patient to assess their condition, give advice and if necessary provide a same day appointment. Extra appointments are available if needed. Urgent appointments are available on the day. Routine appointments can be pre-booked in advance in person, by telephone or online. Extended hours are available Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 7.30am and until 8pm every Monday.

Patients who live in excess of one mile from a pharmacy are eligible to have their prescribed medicines dispensed from the practice. This equates to 40% of registered patients. Medicines can be collected from the practice or from two designated outlets. The dispensary has a dispensary lead and five dispensers and an apprentice dispenser. The opening hours are from 8.30am until 1pm and from 2pm until 6.30pm each day.

The practice has opted out of providing GP services to patients out of hours such as nights and weekends. During these times GP services are provided currently by a service commissioned by NHS Nene Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). When the practice is closed, there is a recorded message giving out of hours’ details. The practice leaflet includes contact information and there are out of hours’ leaflets in the waiting area for patients to take away with them.

Updated 21 July 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Bugbrooke Surgery on 1 June 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns, and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded.

• Staffing levels were monitored to ensure they matched patients’ needs. Safe arrangements were in place for staff recruitment that protected patients from risks of harm.

• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training had been identified and planned.

• Patients told us they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in decisions about their treatment.

• All patients who requested same day appointments were triaged to ensure they received appropriate and timely care.

• Eligible patients were able to obtain their dispensed medicines from the practice.

• Information about how to make a complaint was readily available and easy to understand.

• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to assess and treat patients.

• There was clear leadership structure and staff told us they felt well supported by senior staff. Management proactively sought feedback from patients which it acted on.

However, there was an area of practice where the provider should make an improvement.

• Further develop a fully operational Patient Participation Group (PPG) and encourage their involvement through an efficient communications system.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 21 July 2016

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

• Nursing staff had lead roles in chronic disease management.

• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.

• Patients with long-term conditions had structured annual reviews to check that their health and medicine needs were being met. Where necessary reviews were carried out more often.

• Clinical staff worked with health and social care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care.

• The Proactive Care team (PAC) reviewed patients within three days of their discharge from hospital and developed care plans for them.

• Where necessary patients in this population group had a personalised care plan in place and they were regularly reviewed.

Updated 21 July 2016

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

• There were systems in place to identify and follow up children living in disadvantaged circumstances and who were at risk.

• Alerts were put onto the electronic record when safeguarding concerns were raised.

• There was regular liaison with the health visitor to review those children who were considered to be at risk of harm.

• When needing an appointment all children were triaged and if necessary seen the same day.

• Patients told us that children and young people were treated in an age-appropriate way and were recognised as individuals.

• Extended hours were in place that allowed children to be seen outside of school hours, appointments were available until 8pm every Monday.

• 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 people who had a high number of A&E attendances.

Updated 21 July 2016

The practice is rated good for the care of older people.

• Practice staff offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of older patients.

• Staff kept up to date registers of patients’ health conditions and information was held to alert staff if a patient had complex needs.

• Home visits were offered to those who were unable to access the practice and patients with enhanced needs had prompt access to appointments.

• Practice staff worked with other agencies and health providers to provide patient support.

• Older patients were offered annual health checks and where necessary, care, treatment and support arrangements were implemented.

• The practice funded a minibus service every Tuesday to assist access to the practice for patients who live in local villages.

Updated 21 July 2016

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

• The practice had adjusted its services to accommodate the needs of this population group. For example, GPs often commenced liaising with patients before 8am.

• Extended hours were available and telephone consultations for those patients who found it difficult to attend the practice or if they were unsure whether they needed a face to face appointment.

• Online services were available for booking appointments and ordering repeat prescriptions.

• The practice website gave advice to patients about how to treat minor ailments without the need to be seen by a GP.

Updated 21 July 2016

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

• Patients who experienced poor mental health had received an annual physical health check.

• Practice staff regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of patients who experience poor mental health, including those with dementia.

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

• GPs carried out assessments of patients who experienced memory loss in order to capture early diagnosis of dementia. This enabled staff to put a care package in place that provided health and social care support systems to promote patients well-being.

• Referrals to other health care professionals were made when necessary.

• Clinical staff offered opportunistic screening for dementia to ensure early diagnosis and support plans developed to improve patients’ well-being and lifestyles.

Updated 21 July 2016

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

• The practice held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including those who had a learning disability. A practice nurse had the lead role for organising and carrying out reviews and health checks of patients with a learning disability to promote effective relationships.

• Practice staff regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable patients.

• There was a process in place to signpost vulnerable patients had been signposted to additional support services.

• Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse, the actions they should take and their responsibilities regarding information sharing.

• There was a clinical lead for dealing with vulnerable adults and children.

• The practice kept a register of the 2% of patients who were carers. Clinical staff offered them guidance, signposted them to support groups and offered them the flu vaccination each year.