Balmore Park Surgery

Updated 5 September 2018

Balmore Park Surgery provides GP services to patients in the Caversham area of Reading, Berkshire. The practice premises was purpose built in 1985 and has been extended twice (in 2000 and 2017) to accommodate growing need. There is also a co-located commercial pharmacy within the premises.

The practice is one of the practices in Berkshire West Clinical Commissioning Group and provides general medical services to approximately 20,500 registered patients. Following changes in the local health economy the number of registered patients has increased by approximately 3,050 patients in July 2018. This amounts to a percentage increase of 18%.

All services and regulated activities are provided from:

• Balmore Park Surgery, 59a Hemdean Road, Caversham, Reading, Berkshire RG4 7SS

The practice website is:

• www.balmoreparksurgery.co.uk

According to data from the Office for National Statistics, this part of Berkshire has high levels of affluence and low levels of deprivation. However, there are pockets of high deprivation within the practice boundary which affects registered patients. The practice population has a predominantly higher proportion of patients aged 35 to 49 and under 14 years of age compared to national averages.

The number of working patients was similar to local averages but higher than the national average. The ethnic mix of patients is predominantly white with approximately 11% of registered patients belonging to black and other minority ethnic groups.

Out of hours care is accessed by contacting NHS111.

The practice is registered by the Care Quality Commission to carry out the following regulated activities: Maternity and midwifery services, Family planning, Treatment of disease, disorder or injury, Diagnostic and screening procedures and Surgical procedures.

Updated 5 September 2018

At our previous comprehensive inspection at Balmore Park Surgery in Caversham, Berkshire in November 2017 we found a breach of regulations relating to the management of risks, specifically risks associated with the management of medicines, recruitment and health and safety.

Although the overall rating for the practice was good, the practice was rated requires improvement for the provision of safe services. The practice was rated good for the provision of effective, caring, responsive and well-led services. In addition, all population groups were also rated good.

The full comprehensive report on the November 2017 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Balmore Park Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk. This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 29 August 2018 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breach in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection in November 2017. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and improvements made since our last inspection. We found the practice had made improvements since our last inspection.

At our inspection on the 29 August 2018 we found the practice was meeting the regulations that had previously been breached. We have amended the rating for this practice to reflect these changes. The practice is now rated good for the provision of safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led services. The overall rating remains good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Systems had been implemented and embedded which ensured care and treatment was provided in a safe way to patients.
• The practice had established and was now operating safe and effective systems to assess, manage and mitigate the risks associated with the management of medicines, recruitment and health and safety.
• There was greater awareness and documented assessments which identified and reviewed individual staff health needs and we saw reasonable adjustments were made, where necessary.
• There was an improved process which tracked and monitored the usage of prescription stationary including blank prescriptions.
• Practice staff had attended additional training specific to their roles, this included training on sepsis. Sepsis is a rare but serious complication of an infection.

• The practice had improved the arrangements to support patients with learning disabilities. Specifically, the number of patients who had an annual health check had increased from 54% in November 2017, to 80% in August 2018.

• The practice had revised and reviewed the policies and procedures in place to govern activity and support the safe running of the practice.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 23 January 2018

Updated 23 January 2018

Updated 23 January 2018

Updated 23 January 2018

Updated 23 January 2018

Updated 23 January 2018