Archived: Brackley Medical Centre

Updated 16 May 2017

Brackley Medical Centre (formerly called Washington House Surgery) provides a range of primary medical services from premises at 77 Halse Road, Brackley, Northamptonshire, NN13 6EQ. It is a training practice and is able to offer dispensing services to patients on the practice list who live more than one mile (1.6km) from their nearest pharmacy.

The practice serves a population of approximately 8,850. The area served is significantly less deprived compared to England as a whole. The practice population is predominantly white British. The practice serves an above average population of those aged from 10 to 19 years and 40 to 54 years and a significantly lower than average population of those aged between 20 and 39.

The clinical staff team includes three male and one female GP partners, six other female GPs, one prescribing nurse, six practice nurses, four healthcare assistants, four dispensers and two dispensary counter assistants. The team is supported by a practice manager and a team of administration, reception and secretarial staff.

Updated 16 May 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Brackley Medical Centre (formerly known as Washington House Surgery) on 30 July 2015. The overall rating for the practice was Good however a breach of legal requirements was found. After the comprehensive inspection, the practice wrote to us and submitted an action plan outlining the actions they would take to meet legal requirements in relation to:

• Regulation 12 (RA) Regulations 2014, Safe care and treatment.
• Regulation 19 (RA) Regulations 2014, Fit and proper persons employed.

The full comprehensive report of the inspection on 30 July 2015 can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Brackley Medical Centre (formerly known as Washington House Surgery) on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

This inspection was a desk-based focused follow up inspection carried out on 6 April 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breach in regulation that we identified in our previous inspection on 30 July 2015. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is now rated as ‘Good’.

From the inspection on 30 July 2015, the practice was told they must:

• Strengthen arrangements for the secure storing and recording of non-refrigerated medicines.
• Improve monitoring arrangements for the controlled drugs received and used by the GPs.
• Introduce a system that would identify if a blank form for hand written prescriptions was missing or used inappropriately.
• Introduce Disclosure and Barring Service checks or risk assessments for non clinical staff including three staff trained as a chaperone to determine the need for such checks.

We also told the practice that they should make improvements to the follows areas:

• To the way staff were appraised. At the time of the inspection the practice programme for staff appraisals was behind schedule.

• To the way staff received infection control training. At the time of the inspection, reception, administration and GP staff had been excluded from infection control training and a risk assessment on why those staff did not require the training had not been completed.

Our key findings from the April 2017 inspection were as follows:

• The practice had made the necessary changes to their procedures and was now compliant with the requirements of regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment) and Regulation 19 (Fit and proper persons employed) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

• The practice confirmed that the programme for staff appraisals had been completed and confirmed all staff has had an appraisal in the past 12 months.

• The practice confirmed that the requirements for infection control training had been reviewed and all practice staff had received infection control training in the last 12 months.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 29 October 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of people with long term conditions. The practice provided patients with long term conditions with an annual review to check their health and medication needs were being met. Patients with multiple long term conditions had all their reviews together. All newly diagnosed patients with diabetes were referred appropriately. They had access to a named GP and targeted immunisations such as the flu vaccine. There were GP and nurse leads for a range of long term conditions.

Updated 29 October 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of families, children and young people. Systems were in place for identifying and protecting patients at risk of abuse. There were six week post-natal checks for mothers and their children. Programmes of cervical screening for women over the age of 25 and childhood immunisations were used to respond to the needs of this patient group. Appointments were available outside of school hours. A range of contraceptive and family planning services were available at the practice. The premises was suitable for children and babies.

Updated 29 October 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of older people. The practice offered personalised care to meet the needs of older people in its population. Older patients had access to a named GP, a multi-disciplinary team approach to their care and targeted immunisations such as the flu vaccine. A range of enhanced or patient register services were provided such as those for patients with dementia and end of life care. The practice was responsive to the needs of older people offering home visits.

Updated 29 October 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of working age people (including those recently retired and students). The practice offered online services such as appointment booking and repeat prescriptions. There was additional out of working hours access to meet the needs of working age patients. There were extended opening hours with earlier opening from 7am on Thursdays and late opening until 7.30pm on Wednesdays. The practice was open every other Saturday from 9am to midday for nurse pre-bookable appointments. Routine health checks were available for patients between 40 and 74 years old. The practice encouraged feedback and participation from patients of working age through the virtual patient participation group (an online community of patients who work with the practice to discuss and develop the services provided).

Updated 29 October 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). The practice worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of patients experiencing poor mental health including those with dementia. Patients experiencing dementia also received a care plan specific to their needs and an annual health check. A mental health wellbeing worker was available at the practice and patients could be referred to them by the GPs. The practice had a GP lead for mental health and depression.

Updated 29 October 2015

The practice is rated as good for the population group of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. The practice held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including those with learning disabilities. Patients with a learning disability received an annual health review. The practice worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people. The practice maintained a register of patients who were identified as carers and additional information was available for those patients. Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse in vulnerable people and were aware of their responsibilities in raising safeguarding concerns. The practice tackled inequity by identifying and addressing the specific needs of patients and enabling their full access to services.