Arnold Medical Centre

Background to this inspection

Updated 13 July 2016

Arnold Medical Centre is situated in the South Shore area of Blackpool. It is housed in a large detached property with car parking to the rear. The practice provides services to 4486 patients.

The practice is part of the NHS Blackpool Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and services are provided under a Personal Medical Services Contract (PMS). There are two GP partners (one male and one female) and one female salaried GP. The practice also employs a pharmacist and a practice nurse. An additional practice nurse has been recruited to start in June 2016. Non-clinical staff consisting of a practice manager and five administrative and reception staff support the practice. The practice is a training practice for medical students.

The practice is open between 8am and 6.30pm on Monday to Friday and offers extended opening hours on a Monday until 8.45pm. When the practice is closed, patients are able to access out of hours services offered locally by the provider Fylde Coast Medical Services by telephoning 111.

The practice has a larger proportion of patients aged between 45 and 55 years of age compared to the national average and fewer patients aged between 25 and 40 years of age. There are also more patients aged over 65 on the practice list (21%) than the CCG average of 20% and the national average of 17%.

Information published by Public Health England rates the level of deprivation within the practice population group as two on a scale of one to ten. Level one represents the highest levels of deprivation and level ten the lowest.

The practice caters for a lower proportion of patients experiencing a long-standing health condition (48% compared to the local average of 63% and national average of 54%). The proportion of patients who are in paid work or full time education is higher (54%) than the CCG average of 52% and lower than the national average of 62% and unemployed figures are lower, 3% compared to the CCG average of 7% and the national average of 5%.

The practice provides level access to the building and is adapted to assist people with mobility problems. The building is on two floors, with the majority of the consulting rooms being on the ground floor. Patients can access the consulting rooms on the first floor by using the stairs and there is a stair lift for those patients who need it.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 13 July 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

This is a focused desk top review of evidence supplied by Arnold Medical Centre for one area within the key question safe.

We found the practice to be good in providing safe services. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

The practice was previously inspected on 13 May 2016. The inspection was a comprehensive inspection under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. At that inspection, the practice was rated good overall. However, within the key question safe, safe care and treatment was identified as requires improvement, as the practice was not meeting the legislation at that time; Regulation 12 HSCA (RA) Regulations 2014 Safe care and treatment.

The practice has submitted to CQC, a range of documents which demonstrate they are now meeting the requirements of Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)

Chief Inspector of General Practice