Archived: Pilning Surgery

Updated 6 August 2015

Pilning Surgery is one of the services provided by Montpelier Health. Its other services are at Montpelier Health Centre and the branch surgery at the adjacent Bath Buildings Surgery in Bristol. Montpelier Health commenced working collaboratively with Pilning Surgery in 2012 with the full merger taking place in 2014.

Montpelier Health Centre and the branch surgery were inspected in December 2014 and a report is available on our website.

Montpelier Health is a partnership of five GPs who employ a Practice Business Manager to oversee the strategic and business direction of the Partnership. This also includes the financial viability, practice development, strategic planning and overview of the day to day running of the business to ensure that all systems are in place to enable the delivery of care. There is also an operations manager who oversees the day to day operation of all its practices. The Pilning Surgery has a surgery manager who is responsible for the day to day management of the surgery. Montpelier Health also employs two GPs.

Pilning Surgery delivers a PMS contract to over 4,400 patients in the village of Pilning and surrounding areas. It was purpose built in 1995 and extended in 2010/2011 when a pharmacy (independent from the practice) was added during the refurbishment.

All patient areas are on the ground floor with level access throughout. The doors to the practice are electronically operated and open automatically to enable easy access. The practice administration team occupy first floor rooms.

There are four female and three male GPs and a clinical pharmacist (male) is employed to monitor prescribing. Two nurse managers are responsible for the provision of nursing services and there are three practice nurses and a healthcare assistant. In addition there are six reception/administrative staff.

Pilning Surgery is open between 8.30 am and 6.30 pm on Monday Tuesday and Friday. It is open from 7.30 am until 6.30 pm on Wednesday and 7.30 am until 5.00 pm on Thursday. The surgery is closed at lunchtime from 1 pm until 2.30 pm most days however on Thursday it re-opens at 2.00 pm. Appointments are from 8.30 am to 6.30 pm daily. Extended hours surgeries are offered for pre-bookable appointments on Wednesday and Thursday mornings. The practice offers walk in, same day patient appointments between 8.30 am and 10.30 am each day.

The practice contract it’s Out Of Hours GP service with BrisDoc for when it is closed. Patients can access this service through NHS 111.

Updated 6 August 2015

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Pilning Surgery (Montpelier Health) on Thursday 7 May 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, well-led, effective, caring and responsive services. It was also good for providing services for the care of older patients, those with long term conditions, families, children and young patients. In addition it was good at providing services for working age patients, including those recently retired and students, patients whose circumstances make them vulnerable and patients experiencing poor mental health including, patients with dementia.

• 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, with the exception of those relating to recruitment checks.
• 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 needs had been identified and planned.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• 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.
• 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.

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

The provider should:

• Ensure two written references are obtained when recruiting new staff to be satisfied they are suitable for employment.
• Provide staff with training in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 so they are fully aware of their responsibilities when patients lack the ability to give informed consent.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 6 August 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long-term conditions. Nursing staff had lead roles in chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority. Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed. All these patients had a named GP and a structured annual review to check that their health and medication needs were being met. For those people with the most complex needs, the named GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multi-disciplinary package of care.

Updated 6 August 2015

The practice is rated as 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, for example, children and young people who had a high number of A&E attendances. Immunisation rates were relatively high for all standard childhood immunisations. A patient told us that children and young people were treated in an age-appropriate way and were recognised as individuals, and we saw evidence to confirm this. Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies.

Updated 6 August 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people. Nationally reported data showed that outcomes for patients were good for conditions commonly found in older people. The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population. It was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and rapid access appointments for those with enhanced needs.

Updated 6 August 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of working-age people, including those recently retired and students. The needs of the working age population had been identified and the practice had adjusted the services it offered to ensure these were accessible, flexible and offered continuity of care. The practice was proactive in offering online services as well as a full range of health promotion and screening that reflects the needs for this age group.

Updated 6 August 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). People experiencing poor mental health had received an annual physical health check. The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia. It carried out advance care planning for patients with dementia. The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations. Some staff had received training on how to care for people with mental health needs and dementia however, staff had not received training in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Updated 6 August 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. The practice held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including patients from the travelling community and those with a learning disability. It had carried out annual health checks and offered longer appointments for people with a learning disability. The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people. Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse in vulnerable adults and children. Staff were aware of their responsibilities regarding information sharing, documentation of safeguarding concerns and how to contact relevant agencies in normal working hours and out of hours.