Background to this inspection
Updated
20 July 2018
The Blackmore Vale Partnership provides primary medical services to approximately 24,200 patients. The Registered provider is The Blackmore Vale Partnership.
The practice is registered to provide regulated activities which include treatment of disease, disorder or injury, surgical procedures, family planning, maternity and midwifery services and diagnostic and screening procedures. The practice operates from the main location;
The Blackmore Vale Partnership
Old Market Hill
Sturminster Newton
Dorset
DT10 1QU
And the branches;
Abbey View Medical Centre
Salisbury Road
Shaftesbury
Dorset
SP7 8DH
Fontmell Magna Surgery
West Street
Fontmell Magna
Shaftesbury
SP7 0PF
Marnhull Surgery
Church Hill
Marnhull
Dorset
DT10 1PU
www.blackmorevalesurgery.co.uk
We visited the Blackmore Vale Partnership location and the Abbey View Medical Centre branch during this inspection.
The practice population is in the eighth least deprived decile for deprivation. In a score of one to ten the lower the decile the more deprived an area is. The average life expectancy is above the national average. The average life expectancy for male patients was 81 years compared to the national average of 79 years. The average life expectancy for female patients was 86 years compared to the national average of 83 years.
There are seven GP partners and 10 salaried GPs. The practice also employed five nurse practitioners, a pharmacist, a paramedic, eight practice nurses, seven health care assistants, a practice manager, an IT manager and additional administration and reception staff. The practice was a training practice for doctors training to be GPs.
The practice was open between 8am until 6.30pm, every week day and offered patients extended hours appointments. When the practice is closed patients are directed to out of hours services by dialling the NHS 111 service.
Updated
20 July 2018
This practice is rated as Good overall.
The key questions at this inspection are rated as:
Are services safe? – Good
Are services effective? – Good
Are services caring? – Good
Are services responsive? – Good
Are services well-led? - Good
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Blackmore Vale Partnership on 15 May 2018 as part of our inspection programme.
At this inspection we found:
- The practice had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
- The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
- The practice used the Gold Standard Framework (GSF) for patients over 65 years to help identify and predict risks for older patients in primary care. Patients identified as living with severe frailty were also reviewed every month at multi-disciplinary meetings in order to co-ordinate care to meet individual needs.
- Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
- The practice communicated changes to patients by providing information on the website, on social media, in the waiting room and in local press.
- There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
- There was an active patient participation group which had contributed to decisions regarding service improvements. This included the recruitment of staff, the development of a ‘self-guided health walks’ leaflet and the implementation of information screens and self-service water tanks in the patient waiting rooms.
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
- Review systems to monitor the storage of medicines, including medicines that require refrigeration.
- Review arrangements for the use of Patient Group Directions (PGDs) by individual health professionals working under the direction, to include signatures to confirm how they are used.
- Provide Mental Capacity Act 2005 training for all relevant staff to enable staff to understand their responsibilities under the Act and comply with its codes of practice.
Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice
Please refer to the detailed report and the evidence tables for further information.