Carrington House Surgery

Background to this inspection

Updated 21 March 2017

Carrington House Surgery provides GP services to 10,200 patients in a suburban area of High Wycombe. It is based in an area of mixed ethnicity and this is reflected in its patient list, although it has fewer registered patients from the town’s large Asian population than some of the other local practices. The locality has a relatively low level of deprivation, although unemployment and deprivation levels are higher than for practices in other parts of the Chiltern Clinical Commissioning Group area.

The practice has three GP partners, two female and one male, and three female salaried GPs, equivalent in total to 4.5 whole time doctors. It currently has one employed practice nurse who is able to deliver care and treatment for patients with minor illnesses. There are two long-term locum nurses who cover a current practice nurse vacancy. There is one health care assistant. There are 13 members of administration, reception and support staff, including a practice manager and deputy practice manager.

The practice has seen a significant increase in its list size in the last three years of about 1,500 additional patients. It has a younger than average patient list, with 77% being under 50 years old. It also serves university students, the majority of residents at a local nursing home, and families being supported by the town’s Women’s Aid service. The practice area covers a radius of about three miles, encompassing the whole of High Wycombe.

Carrington House Surgery was purpose-built in the mid-1990s, and comprises four GP consulting rooms and four nurse treatment rooms, including rooms suitable for minor surgery, over two floors with stair and lift access. There is step free access to the main entrance, disabled parking spaces and automatic entrance doors, and a dedicated toilet for patients with disabilities. The administration area has been remodelled in recent years, and patient areas updated to meet infection control standards.

The surgery is open from 8.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday, with GP appointments available between 8.30am to 12.30pm and 3pm to 5.30pm daily. There is an emergency duty GP on call from 8am to 8.30am and from 6pm to 6.30pm. The practice also runs an extended hours surgery each Tuesday evening until 9pm.

The practice has opted out of providing out of hours services to their patients. The out of hours service is provided by Buckinghamshire Urgent Care Serviceand is accessed by calling NHS 111. Advice on how to access the out of hours service is contained in the practice leaflet, on the patient website and on a recorded message when the practice is closed.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 21 March 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Carrington House Surgery on 16 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 Carrington House Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced desk-based review carried out on 20 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 on 16 June 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is now rated as Good.

Our key findings were as follows:

New protocols had been put in place to ensure any concerns regarding medicine fridge temperatures were dealt with immediately and in accordance with the cold chain policy.
Staff appraisals had been brought up to date.
Engagement and communication with staff in the practice across different staff groups had been improved.
The practice continued to offer support to the patient participation group to ensure it met the needs of registered patients and the practice.
A hearing loop had been installed in the practice to assist patients who use hearing aids.
Efforts had been made to identify more patients as carers.

However, there were also areas of practice where the provider should consider improvements.

Continue work to identify more patients as carers.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)

Chief Inspector of General Practice