Archived: New Longton Surgery

Updated 31 July 2017

New Longton Surgery is a small practice in the residential area of New Longton, on the outskirts of Preston. It provides primary medical care for a list size of 1,655 patients. The patient population of the practice contains a higher proportion of older people than is the average across England (29% are aged over 65 years, compared to the national average of 17%, and 12% are aged over 75 years compared to the national average of 8%). Conversely, there are a lower proportion of younger patients in the practice population; 4% are aged between 0 and 4 years (compared to the national average of 6%) and 10% are aged between 5 and 14 (compared to the national average of 11%).

The practice is part of the NHS Chorley and South Ribble Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Services are provided under a General Medical Services (GMS) Contract.

The staff team is made up of two partner GPs (one male and one female) and a female salaried GP. The GPs are supported by a practice nurse. Non clinical staff include a practice manager and three reception and administration staff. The practice manager also undertakes the responsibility of medicines coordinator.

Information published by Public Health England rates the level of deprivation within the practice population group as ten on a scale of one to ten. Level one represents the highest levels of deprivation and level ten the lowest. The proportion of the practice’s patient population who are unemployed is 2%. This is lower than the national average of 6%. The number of disability allowance claimants (per 1000) on the practice’s patient list is 36, compared to the national average of 50. The practice population has a slightly lower proportion of patients suffering with a long-standing health condition than is the average nationally; 48% compared to 54%.

The practice is open between 8:00am until 6:30pm Monday to Friday, except for Thursdays when the opening hours are 8:00am until 1:00pm. Appointments with the GPs are available between 9:00am to 11:30am and 3:30pm to 5:00pm on weekdays other than Thursday, where appointments run between 9:00am and 11:30am. The practice also offers extended opening on a Sunday morning between 8:00am and 11:00am. The practice nurse works for 10 hours per week split between Mondays and Fridays. A phlebotomist (provided by an external NHS Trust) runs a three-hour weekly clinic in the practice on a Wednesday morning. When the practice is closed, patients are able to access out of hours services offered locally by the provider GotoDoc.

Updated 31 July 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out a focused desk-based review of New Longton Surgery on 1 December 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good with the key question of safe rated as requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the December 2016 inspection can be found on our website at

http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-550153462

This inspection was a desk-based review carried out on 7 July 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 review in December 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements.

Overall the practice is now rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• At the review in December 2016 we found that the practice did not provide any evidence regarding the retention of recruitment documents, to assure us that they were following their recruitment policy. At this desk-based review we saw that the practice had amended their recruitment policy and had retained interview notes for a new salaried GP employed by the practice in March 2017. We also saw evidence that two references for the GP had been sought and retained.
• At our previous review, the practice was unable to provide us with evidence that portable appliance and electrical safety (PAT) checks had been carried out on all equipment. For this inspection, the practice provided evidence to show that PAT testing had been carried out in November 2015 and November 2016.
• At the inspection in December 2016 we saw that the risk assessment provided for administrative staff acting as chaperones did not reflect current GMC or CQC guidance and referred to cost as an issue for not conducting Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks. (DBS checks identify whether a person has a criminal record or is on an official list of people barred from working in roles where they may have contact with children or adults who may be vulnerable). At this inspection, we saw that the practice had amended their chaperone policy and applied for DBS checks for staff acting as chaperones and we were sent copies of these.
• We saw in December 2016 that there was no evidence of clinical audit of clinical care to demonstrate continual improvement in clinical care. For this inspection, the practice supplied us evidence of an audit conducted in January 2017 of the care and treatment of diabetic patients with chronic kidney disease.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 31 July 2017

The provider had resolved the concerns for safety identified at our inspection on 1 December 2016 which applied to everyone using this practice, including this population group. The overall population group ratings have not been impacted and the rating for this group remains the same. The specific findings relating to this population group can be found at http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-550153462

Updated 31 July 2017

The provider had resolved the concerns for safety identified at our inspection on 1 December 2016 which applied to everyone using this practice, including this population group. The overall population group ratings have not been impacted and the rating for this group remains the same. The specific findings relating to this population group can be found at http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-550153462

Updated 31 July 2017

The provider had resolved the concerns for safety identified at our inspection on 1 December 2016 which applied to everyone using this practice, including this population group. The overall population group ratings have not been impacted and the rating for this group remains the same. The specific findings relating to this population group can be found at http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-550153462

Updated 31 July 2017

The provider had resolved the concerns for safety identified at our inspection on 1 December 2016 which applied to everyone using this practice, including this population group. The overall population group ratings have not been impacted and the rating for this group remains the same. The specific findings relating to this population group can be found at http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-550153462

Updated 31 July 2017

The provider had resolved the concerns for safety identified at our inspection on 1 December 2016 which applied to everyone using this practice, including this population group. The overall population group ratings have not been impacted and the rating for this group remains the same. The specific findings relating to this population group can be found at http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-550153462

Updated 31 July 2017

The provider had resolved the concerns for safety identified at our inspection on 1 December 2016 which applied to everyone using this practice, including this population group. The overall population group ratings have not been impacted and the rating for this group remains the same. The specific findings relating to this population group can be found at http://www.cqc.org.uk/location/1-550153462