The Sandmere Road Practice

Updated 19 February 2019

The Sandmere Road Practice provides primary medical services in the London Borough of Lambeth to approximately 13,300 patients. The practice operates at 10-14 Sandmere Road, Clapham, London, SW4 7QJ. The practice is based in a purpose-built building.

The practice population is in the third most deprived decile in England. The practice population’s age demographic is broadly in line with the local average, in that there are proportionally more patients between the age of 20 and 45 than the national average. The practice population also has high incidences of obesity, diabetes and hypertension than the local and national average.

The practice is managed by two partners. The GP team at the surgery is made up of eight GPs (including the partners) working to the whole time equivalent of 5.3 GPs. There are also three practice nurses and a pharmacist. There is a practice manager and the team is supported by ten other administrative and reception staff. The practice operates under a Personal Medical Services (PMS) contract.

The practice reception is open between 8:30am and 6:30pm Monday to Friday. There are extended hours on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:00pm, and on Saturday from 8:00am until 10;00am. When the practice is closed patients are directed to contact the local out of hours service.

The practice is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide the regulated activities of family planning, surgical procedures, maternity and midwifery services, treatment of disease, disorder or injury and diagnostic and screening services.

Updated 19 February 2019

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at The Sandmere Road Practice on 12 December 2018 as part of our inspection programme.

We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service on a combination of:

• what we found when we inspected
• information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
• information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We have rated this practice as good overall and good for all population groups, except for older patients and people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable which are rated as outstanding. The responsive key question is also rated as outstanding.

We found that:

• The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
• Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.
• Staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care.
• The practice organised and delivered services to meet patients’ needs. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way.
• The way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.

We saw five areas of outstanding practice:

• The practice provided patients with organically grown apples to encourage them to live healthier lives. The practice had also arranged for patient walks of the orchard where apples were grown. The practice gave away 100kg of apples per year.
• The practice had arranged for a film detailing self-harm to be shown at two local cinemas and had arranged for patient groups to attend so that issues of this kind might be better identified and managed.
• The practice had dedicated administrative safeguarding leads to protect confidentiality for these patients and to ensure that they were followed up by the practice in a timely way, particularly if appointments were missed.
• The practice referred patient to the Age UK Safe and Independent Living (SAIL) programme so that they could receive multi-disciplinary support for health and other social issues. The practice had a dedicated co-ordinator who reviewed patients who may benefit from such referrals, and 88 patients had been referred. This had optimised care for these patients.
• The practice had entered a partnership with a local coffee shop where hundreds of self-care leaflets were handed out, including details of medicines that could be bought over the counter rather than on prescription. They had also arranged for discounted coffee on Wednesdays for older patients, carers and vulnerable patients with a view to encouraging more lonely patients to leave the house. The practice had a plan to promote talking therapies in the next year.

Whilst we found no breaches of regulations, the provider should:

• Review the way in which vaccine refrigerators are stocked to prevent damage to the vaccines.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 19 February 2019

Updated 19 February 2019

Updated 19 February 2019

Updated 19 February 2019

Updated 19 February 2019

Updated 19 February 2019