Background to this inspection
Updated
12 December 2018
Sundon Park Health Centre provides a range of primary medical services to the residents of the Sundon Park and surrounding areas of Luton. The practice has a registered manager in place. A registered manager is an individual registered with CQC to manage the regulated activities provided. The regulated activities registered to provide are:
- Diagnostic and screening procedures
- Family planning
- Maternity and midwifery services
- Treatment of disease, disorder or injury
The provider for the practice is Dr Yip and Partners who holds a temporary caretaker contract. Dr Yip and Partners also has a neighbouring practice, Sundon Medical Centre, which was not inspected as part of this inspection.
The practice provides services under an Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) contract, a locally agreed contract to provide primary medical services, from its location of Tenth Avenue, Luton, Bedfordshire, LU3 3EP. Online services can be accessed from the practice website
The practice has approximately 3,000 patients. The practice population is of mixed ethnicity with a higher than average number of patients aged 15 to 44 years and a lower than average number aged over 65 years. National data indicates the area is one of mid deprivation.
A GP partner from the neighbouring practice provides clinical leadership and oversight for the practice. They employ four long-term locum GPs (one female and three male), and a female practice nurse. There is a team of administration and reception staff who are all led by the practice manager.
Sundon Park Health Centre is open from 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday with extended opening hours every Saturday from 8am to 12pm.
When the practice is closed out-of-hours services are provided by Herts Urgent Care and can be accessed via the NHS 111 service.
Updated
12 December 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 inspection at Sundon Park Health Centre on 7 November 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.
- Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
- Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they could access care when they needed it. The practice scored higher than the local and national averages in the national GP patient survey, published August 2018, for questions relating to appointment booking and access to the service.
- The practice was part of a local cluster of GP practices who worked together to secure and improve GP services for the local community.
- The practice carried out the NHS health checks and had a pro-active approach to inviting patients for their check. The practice had completed 221 NHS health checks in the year 2017/18 and had received a letter from the local Luton Council acknowledging their achievement.
- Data from the latest Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) 2017/2018 showed overall patient outcomes were above or in line with the local and national average in most areas. However, they were below the local and national averages for one area of diabetes care.
- There was a process for the management of medicines including high risk medicines. However, blood monitoring results were not always recorded in the patient record.
- The complaints documentation did not include details of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
The areas where the provider should make improvements are:
- Continue to make improvements to the care of patients with diabetes where achievements were below the local CCG and national averages.
- Review the procedure for managing high risk medicines so blood monitoring results are recorded in the patient computer record.
- Update the complaints policy and the complaints response letters to patients to include details of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.
Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice
Please refer to the detailed report and the evidence tables for further information.
Working age people (including those recently retired and students)
Updated
12 December 2018
People experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia)
Updated
12 December 2018