Groombridge and Hartfield Medical Group

Background to this inspection

Updated 12 April 2017

Groombridge and Hartfield Medical Group is a dispensing practice offering general medical services to the population of Groombridge, Hartfield and surrounding areas in East Sussex. There are approximately 5,100 registered patients.

The practice population has a higher number of patients between 45-85years and over compared to the national and local CCG averages. The practice population also shows a lower number of patients between the age of 15-39 years compared to the national and local CCG averages. There are a slightly higher number of patients with a longstanding health conditions. The percentage of registered patients suffering deprivation (affecting both adults and children) is lower than the average for both the CCG area and England.

Groombridge and Hartfield Medical Group is run by two male partner GPs. The practice is also supported by three female salaried GPs; three practice nurses, one healthcare assistant, two phlebotomists, a dispensary team, a team of administrative and reception staff, and a locum practice manager.

The practice runs a number of services for its patients including asthma clinics, diabetes clinics, coronary heart disease clinics, minor surgery, child immunisation clinics, new patient checks and travel vaccines and advice.

Services are provided from two locations:

Hartfield Village Surgery, Old Crown Farm, East Sussex, TN7 4AD

And a branch surgery at:

Groombridge Surgery, Withyham Road, Groombridge, Tunbridge Wells, TN3 9QP

Opening hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 1pm and 2pm to 6.30pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. The practice is closed Thursday afternoon though patient can attend the Groombridge surgery for appointments. The practice has extended hours with evening sessions until 8pm on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Wednesday of each month and early morning appointments from 7am on the 1st, 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month. Saturday morning appointments are available from 7am to 8.15am on the first Saturday of each month and between 8am and 9.15am on the third Saturday of each month.

During the times when the practice is closed arrangements are in place for patients to access care from IC24 which is an Out of Hours provider.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 12 April 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Groombridge and Hartfield Medical Group on 8 June 2016. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the June 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Groombridge and Hartfield Medical Group on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Following this inspection the practice sent to us an action plan detailing what they would do to meet the legal requirements in relation to the following:

Ensuring that medicines management systems are reviewed to protect patients against the risk of unsafe care and treatment.
Ensuring that all safety assessments are undertaken and reviewed as required.
Ensuring that appropriate training for staff is completed and monitored. This includes training in respect of fire safety.

Additionally we had found that:

The provider needed to continue in actively identifying patients that have caring responsibilities within the patient list.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 8 February 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Our key findings were as follows:

The provider had reviewed all aspects of medicines management and devised new standard operating procedures which all appropriate staff had received a copy of and signed to acknowledge this.
The provider had undertaken the assessments required for electrical installation and fire risk and acted upon the advice within these.
The provider had ensured all staff had undertaken fire training as required.
The provider had increased the number of carers identified within their list from 40 carers to 60 carers. An increase of 50%.

Overall the practice is now rated as good.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)

Chief Inspector of General Practice