Rainhill Village Surgery

Updated 9 March 2017

There were 6872 patients on the practice register at the time of our inspection and 26% of the practice population were over 65 years of age (compared to a national average of 17%).

The practice is a training practice managed by two male GP partners and three salaried GPs (one male, two female). There is a nurse clinician and two practice nurses and two healthcare assistants. Members of clinical staff are supported by a practice manager, reception and administration staff.

The practice is open 8am to 6.30pm every weekday. Patients requiring a GP outside of normal working hours are advised to contact the GP out of hours services, St. Helens Rota.

The practice has a Personal Medical Services (PMS) contract and has enhanced services contracts which include childhood vaccinations. Rainhill Village Surgery is part of St Helens Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

Updated 9 March 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We previously carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Rainhill Village Surgery on 27 September 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good but required improvement in providing safe services. The full comprehensive report on the 27 September 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Rainhill Village Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 17 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 27 September 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:

• The practice had addressed the issues identified during the previous inspection.
• There was system in place to check whether medical equipment on the premises was in date and therefore safe to use.

In addition, the practice had made the following improvements:

• Staff had received additional guidance on chaperoning.
• There was new system for securely storing blank prescription forms.
• There was now a data sharing agreement for patient information to be shared with other GPs when treating patients from other practices.
• Complaints information both in the practice leaflet and on the website had been updated to reflect patients could complain to either NHS England or the practice.
• The practice had arranged end of year meetings to analyse incidents and complaints for trends.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 1 November 2016

The practice is rated as good for providing services for people with long term conditions. The practice had registers in place for several long term conditions including diabetes and asthma. Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed. All these patients had a structured annual review to check their health and medicines needs were being met. For those patients with the most complex needs, the GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care. One of the GPs had a special interest in diabetes and held a diabetic clinic for those patients with more complex needs.

Updated 1 November 2016

The practice is rated as good for providing services for families, children and young people. The practice regularly liaised with health visitors to review vulnerable children and new mothers. There were systems in place to identify and follow up children living in disadvantaged circumstances and who were at risk, for example, children and young people who had a high number of A&E attendances. 

Updated 1 November 2016

The practice is rated as good for providing services for older people. The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population and offered home visits and care home visits. The practice participated in meetings with other healthcare professionals to discuss any concerns. There was a named GP for the over 75s.  

Updated 1 November 2016

The practice is as rated good for providing services for working age people. The needs of this population group had been identified and the practice had adjusted the services it offered to ensure these were accessible. There were online systems available to allow patients to make appointments.

Updated 1 November 2016

The practice is rated as good for providing services for people experiencing poor mental health. Patients experiencing poor mental health received an annual physical health check. All practice staff had received dementia awareness training and were dementia friends. 

Updated 1 November 2016

The practice is rated as good for providing services for people whose circumstances make them vulnerable. The practice held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including those with a learning disability. It had carried out annual health checks and longer appointments were available for people with a learning disability. Foodbank vouchers were available. The practice had a carer’s champion who acted as a first point of contact for patients and liaised with the local carer’s centre.