Updated 7 December 2017
The Meadows Surgery was registered as a partnership until the retirement of one of the two partners in June 2016. Dr Austin then registered as an individual provider and continued to operate the practice. The practice serves 3,500 patients and is located in the small town of Ilminster in a rural part of Somerset, some 12 miles south east of Taunton. The modern, purpose built premises are shared with another practice; and offers dispensing services to those patients on the practice list who lived more than one mile (1.6km) from their nearest pharmacy. There is ample parking on site and the regulated activities are carried out at:
The Meadows Surgery
Canal Way
Ilminster
Somerset
TA19 9FE
The patient age distribution is similar to national and Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) averages. There are slightly fewer patients aged 5 to 39 than the national average; and slightly more male patients aged 55 to 84 years than the national average. The practiced has 55% (2015/16 data) of patients with a long standing health condition, which is similar to the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) average of 56% and national average of 53%.
Other Population Demographics:
The percentage of patients in paid work or full time education:
60% (slightly lower than the national average of 63%)
The area is in the fourth less deprived decile in the national index of deprivation.
Index of Multiple Deprivation 2015 (IMD):
16 (lower than the national average of 22)
Income Deprivation Affecting Children (IDACI):
14% (lower than the national average of 20%)
Income Deprivation Affecting Older People (IDAOPI):
12% (lower than the national average 16%)
Average male and female life expectancy for the area is 82 and 86 years respectively, which are both three years more than the national average.
The practice has one GP who is the Individual Provider, supported one salaried GP; who together are equivalent to 1.3 whole time employees. One is male and one is female. Between them they provide twelve sessions of GP appointments each week, plus extended hours one evening per week.
There are three practice nurses, whose working hours are equivalent to 1.8 whole time employees (WTE); including one non-medical prescriber who offers the equivalent of 0.6 WTE per week. A fourth practice nurse offers ad hoc locum support. Two health care assistants are employed by the practice with combined hours of 1.2 WTE; along with four staff employed as dispensers. The GPs, nursing team and dispensers are supported by seven management and administrative staff including a practice manager. The practice is also supported by an emergency care practitioner and a clinical pharmacist.
The practice is open from Monday to Friday each week between 8.30am and 6pm, with telephone access from 8am until 6.30pm. Appointments are available typically from 8.30am until 12.30pm and 3.50pm to 5.50pm. Extended hours appointments, known as ‘improved access’, are offered on Thursday evening from 6.30pm to 7pm with the practice nurse; and alternate Thursdays between 6.30pm and 8pm with a GP and HCA. The dispensary is open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm, except for closure, along with the practice, every Wednesday from 1pm to 2pm for staff training.
The practice operates a mixed appointments system with some appointments available to pre-book and others available to book on the day. The practice offers online booking facilities for non-urgent appointments and an online repeat prescription service. Patients need to contact the practice first to arrange for access to these services.
The practice has a General Medical Services (GMS) contract to deliver health care services; the contract includes enhanced services such as childhood vaccination and immunisation scheme, facilitating timely diagnosis and support for patients with dementia and minor surgery services. An influenza and pneumococcal immunisations enhanced service is also provided. These contracts act as the basis for arrangements between the NHS Commissioning Board and providers of general medical services in England.
When the practice is closed patients are directed to the NHS 111 service where patients can be referred to Vocare GP Out of Hours service if further clinical advice is required. This practice along with a number of practices in Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) opted out of national
QOF arrangements from 2014/15 onwards, in order to participate in an alternative, locally developed quality scheme (Somerset Practices Quality Scheme – SPQS). This means that reporting on individual clinical indicators will appear lower than practices who have continued to deliver national QOF. This does not mean that there was any drop in the quality of clinical care, practices were continuing to provide care in accordance with NICE guidelines.