Seaton Park Medical Group

Updated 28 August 2018

Seaton Park Medical Group provides care and treatment to approximately 18,224 patients of all ages, based on a General Medical Services (GMS) contract. The practice is part of NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and covers Ashington, Newbiggin, Choppington, Guidepost, Bedlington, Pegswood, Ellington, Lynemouth, Widdrington Station, Ulgham and Longhirst. We visited the following locations as part of the inspection:

• Seaton Park Medical Group, Norham Road, Ashington, Northumberland, NE63 0NG.
• Newbiggin branch surgery, Buteland Terrace, Newbiggin-by-the-Sea, Northumberland, NE64 6NS.

Information taken from Public Health England placed the area in which the practice is located in the third most deprived decile. This shows the practice serves an area where deprivation is higher than the England average. In general, people living in more deprived areas tend to have a greater need for health services. The practice has fewer patients under 18 years of age, and more patients over 65 years of age, than the England averages. The percentage of people with a long-standing health condition and caring responsibilities is above the England average. National data showed that 1.1% of the population are from an Asian background.

Seaton Park Medical Group is located in purpose built premises which provides patients who have mobility needs with access to ground floor treatment and consultation rooms. The practice team consists of: seven GP partners (three male and four female); six salaried GPs (four female and two male); a senior practice pharmacist (female) and two part-time, ‘Vanguard’ initiative funded, pharmacists (also female); two advanced nurse practitioners (female); six senior prescribing practice nurses (female); three practice nurses (female); three healthcare assistants (female); two phlebotomists (female); an orthopaedic practitioner (male); a practice manager; a quality and human resources manager; a support services manager; a patient services manager; and a large team of administrative and reception staff. The practice is a training practice and offers placements to GP trainees. There was a GP trainee on placement at the time of our visit.

Updated 28 August 2018

This practice is rated as good overall. (Previous rated, comprehensive inspection – 21 October 2014 – rating – good).

The key questions 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 Seaton Park Medical Group on 19 June 2018 as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

• The practice had systems to keep patients safe and safeguarded from abuse.
• 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 they provided. They ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
• Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Some patients reported they were not able to access care and treatment from the practice within an acceptable timescale for their needs. The practice had implemented a range of innovative measures to help them improve patient access and were closely monitoring the effectiveness and impact of the changes they had introduced.
• The provider’s strategies and supporting action plans for improving the care and treatment they provided were challenging and innovative.
• There was a very strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation. The practice actively used performance information to drive improvement.

We saw the following area of outstanding practice:

• The leadership, governance and culture of the practice was used to drive and improve how care and treatment was provided. The practice had worked with other organisations to create a range of local, non-clinical services, to which clinical staff could refer, to help support vulnerable patients take greater control of their own health. Steps had been taken to expand and increase the skill-mix of the team, to create more time for GPs to focus their time on patients with the most complex needs. Leaders and clinicians were piloting a ‘group consultation’ approach for patients with some long-term conditions, to help them reduce appointment demand, whilst also delivering care and treatment in a supportive group setting, providing opportunities for patients to listen, learn and share experiences. Strategies had been developed to manage and reduce demand for appointments through, for example, the use of an awareness campaign to educate patients about the range of services provided by the practice.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Carry out periodic, comprehensive infection control audits, to make sure the practice is complying with the Health and Social Care Act (2008): Code of Practice.
• Improve uptake rates for cervical cancer screening so they are in line with the local clinical commissioning group average.
• Where the practice’s exception reporting rates are higher than the local clinical commissioning group and England averages, take action to reduce them.
• Carry out regular checks of the contents of the doctors’ bags and maintain suitable records of this.
• Continue to take steps to improve access to appointments and reduce patient complaints in this area.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 28 August 2018

Updated 28 August 2018

Updated 28 August 2018

Updated 28 August 2018

Updated 28 August 2018

Updated 28 August 2018