Background to this inspection
Updated
14 June 2019
Severnbank Surgery is located in Lydney in the Gloucestershire area. The practice provides its services from a purpose-built building to approximately 3,900 patients under a General Medical Services (GMS) contract with NHS England. (A GMS contract is a contract between NHS England and general practices for delivering general medical services and is the commonest form of GP contract).
The practice provided its services from the following address:
Severnbank Surgery
Tutnalls Street
Lydney
Gloucestershire
GL15 5PQ
Information about the practice can be obtained through their website at:
The practice has two GP partners of whom one is male and one is female. The practice employed three practice nurses, a healthcare assistant, a phlebotomist and three dispensers (all female). The practice management team include a practice manager, an administration manager, two medical secretaries, a cleaner and 4 receptionists.
The practice was able to offer dispensing services to those patients on the practice list who lived more than one mile (1.6km) from their nearest pharmacy. There were two dispensers employed by the practice. One of the dispensers also undertook phlebotomy and the other also undertook reception duties.
The general Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) population profile for the geographic area of the practice shows the practice is in the fifth least deprivation decile on a scale of one to 10 with 10 being the least deprived. (An area itself is not deprived: it is the circumstances and lifestyles of the people living there that affect its deprivation score. Not everyone living in a deprived area is deprived and that not all deprived people live in deprived areas). Average male and female life expectancy for the practice is 78 and 85 years, which is in line with the national average of 79 and 83 years respectively.
The practice is registered to provide the following Regulated Activities:
•Diagnostic and screening procedures.
•Treatment of disease, disorder or injury.
•Maternity and midwifery services.
•Surgical Procedures.
•Family Planning.
When the practice is closed and at weekends the out of hours GP cover is provided by CareUK which patients can access via NHS 111.
Updated
14 June 2019
We carried out an announced focused inspection at Severnbank Surgery on 8 May 2019. This inspection was undertaken to follow up on the breaches of Regulations identified at our previous inspections on 2 and 9 October 2018, and 24 January 2019.
On 2 October 2018 we carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Severnbank Surgery as part of our inspection programme. We revisited the practice again on the 9 October 2018 to gather some additional information. We found there were breaches in the regulations relating to safe care and treatment, receiving and acting on complaints and good governance. Following this inspection, we sent the practice a Warning Notice setting out why they were failing to meet the regulations relating to safe care and treatment and requiring them to become compliant with this regulation by 31 January 2019.
We undertook a follow up inspection on the 24 January 2019 to check that the provider had implemented the actions they told us they would take, to become compliant with the Warning Notice in relation to safe care and treatment. Although the practice had addressed most of the issues, we found the new systems and processes were not yet fully embedded. We served the practice a Requirement Notice in relation to Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
The full report of the October 2018 and January 2019 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Severnbank Surgery on our website at
This report covers the announced follow up comprehensive inspection we carried out at Severnbank Surgery on 8 May 2019, to review the actions taken by the practice to improve the quality of care and to confirm that the practice was meeting legal requirements in relation to safe care and treatment, receiving and acting on complaints and good governance.
At this inspection we found the practice had made significant changes and improvements to their systems and processes, and actions had been implemented to address the failings we identified at our previous inspections. For example, we found:
- The recording of Controlled Drugs was accurate and legible.
- Medicines dispensed in compliance aid boxes (blister packs) were appropriate.
- Patient Specific Directions were authorised in line with current guidelines.
- Up to date information for locum staff were obtained and retained by the practice.
- Health and safety assessments were carried out and actions taken to ensure safety in the practice.
- Staff who required indemnity insurance had this in place.
- Systems and processes for the management of significant events and complaints had been reviewed and were operating effectively.
- Systems and processes had been reviewed to ensure good governance of the practice.
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
- Continue to identify ways to improve uptake for cervical screening.
Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.
Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care