Background to this inspection
Updated
8 July 2021
Elsdon Avenue Surgery provides care and treatment to approximately 3,850 patients of all ages in the town of Seaton Deleval. The practice is part of NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group and operates on a General Medical Services (GMS) contract. This is part of a contract held with NHS England.
The practice provides service from Elsdon Avenue Surgery, Seaton Delaval, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, NE25 0BW. We visited this location as part of this inspection.
The provider is registered with CQC to deliver the Regulated Activities; diagnostic and screening procedures, maternity and midwifery services, treatment of disease, disorder or injury, and family planning.
Information published by Public Health England, rates the level of deprivation within the practice population group as six, on a scale of one to ten. Level one represents the highest levels of deprivation and level ten the lowest.
There were four GPs who all work part time at the practice; three are female and one male. There was a part time practice manager, office manager and two practice nurses, health care assistant and a team of four administrative staff.
The practice was a teaching practice who hosted third year medical students.
Due to the enhanced infection prevention and control measures put in place since the pandemic and in line with the national guidance, GP appointments were currently approximately 50% face to face and 50% telephone appointments.
Extended access appointments, where late evening and weekend appointments are available and out of hours appointments are provided by Vocare.
Updated
8 July 2021
We carried out an announced inspection of Elsdon Avenue Surgery on 8 June 2021. Overall, the practice is rated as Good.
The key questions are rated as:
Safe - Good
Effective - Good
Caring - Good
Responsive - Good
Well-led - Good
Why we carried out this inspection
This inspection was a comprehensive inspection, we have carried out this inspection because the practice has reregistered with us as a new provider of GP services for this location.
How we carried out the inspection
Throughout the pandemic CQC has continued to regulate and respond to risk. However, taking into account the circumstances arising as a result of the pandemic, and in order to reduce risk, we have conducted our inspections differently.
This inspection was carried out in a way which enabled us to spend a minimum amount of time on site. This was with consent from the provider and in line with all data protection and information governance requirements.
This included:
- Conducting staff interviews using video conferencing and face to face interviews
- Completing clinical searches on the practice’s patient records system and discussing findings with the provider
- Reviewing patient records to identify issues and clarify actions taken by the provider
- Requesting evidence from the provider
- A short site visit
Our findings
We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:
- what we found when we inspected
- information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
- information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.
We have rated this practice as Good overall and good for all population groups
We found that:
- The practice had systems to keep clinicians up to date with current evidence-based practice. We saw that clinicians assessed needs and delivered care and treatment in line with current legislation, standards and guidance.
- Care was delivered and reviewed in a coordinated way when different teams, services or organisations were involved.
- Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
- The practice had a programme of quality improvement activity and routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care provided.
- We found staff had the knowledge and skills needed to provide effective care.
- The practice adjusted how it delivered services to meet the needs of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
- The practice demonstrated they had good governance processes to monitor and improve safety and safeguarding within the practice.
- There was a clear vision and strategy to deliver high quality, sustainable care.
- There were arrangements in place to support good governance and management.
- The practice learned, improved and innovated as a result of safety information and incidents.
Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.
Dr Rosie Benneyworth BM BS BMedSci MRCGP
Chief Inspector of Primary Medical Services and Integrated Care