Archived: Lattimore Surgery

Updated 3 March 2016

Lattimore Surgery provides a range of primary medical services from its premises at Lattimore Surgery, 1 Upton Avenue, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 5ER and The Village Surgery, 283 The High Street, London Colney, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL2 1EU. We inspected both practices.

The practice serves a population of approximately 8,800. The area served is less deprived compared to England as a whole. The practice population is mostly white British with some Asian communities including those from a Bangladeshi background. The practice serves a slightly above average population of those aged from 0 to 9 and 30 to 49. There is a lower than average population of those aged between 20 and 24 and 65 and older.

The clinical team includes one female and three male GP partners, two female salaried GPs and three female practice nurses. The team is supported by a practice manager and 16 other administration, reception and secretarial staff. The practice is on a GMS contract.

Lattimore Surgery is staffed with the phone lines open from 8am and doors open from 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On Tuesdays and Thursdays the doors close at 5pm with the phone lines transferred to The Village Surgery, open until 6.30pm on those days. The Village Surgery is staffed with the phone lines open from 8am and the doors open from 8.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday with extended opening every Monday until 8.45pm.

Appointments are approximately from 8.30am to midday and 3.30pm to 6pm daily, with slight variations depending on the doctor and later opening every Monday. An out of hours service for when the practice is closed is provided by Herts Urgent Care.

Updated 3 March 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of Lattimore Surgery on 9 December 2015. The practice achieved an overall rating of good. Specifically, we found the practice to be good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led services. It was good for providing services for older people; people with long-term conditions; families, children and young people; working age people; people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable and people experiencing poor mental health.

Our key findings were as follows:

• Systems were in place to identify and respond to concerns about the safeguarding of adults and children.
• We saw patients receiving respectful treatment from staff. Patients felt they were seen by friendly and helpful staff. Patients reported feeling satisfied with the care and treatment they received.
• The practice offered a number of services designed to promote patients’ health and wellbeing and prevent the onset of illness.
• The practice acted upon best practice guidance to further improve patient care.
• The management and meeting structure ensured that appropriate clinical decisions were reached and action was taken.
• The practice appeared clean and infection control processes were adhered to.
• Systems were in place and adhered to for the appropriate management of medicines.

There were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

The provider should:

• Ensure that refrigerated medicines and vaccines are stored in accordance with the relevant guidance.

• Ensure that the clinical waste bins outside the practice are appropriately secured.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 3 March 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long-term conditions. The practice provided patients with long-term conditions with an annual review to check their health and medication needs were being met. All newly diagnosed patients with diabetes were managed in line with an agreed pathway. Patients with long-term conditions had access to a named GP and targeted immunisations such as the flu vaccine. There were GP and nurse leads for a range of long-term conditions. 

Updated 3 March 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people. Systems were in place for identifying and protecting patients at risk of abuse. There were six week post-natal checks for mothers and their children. Programmes of cervical screening for women over the age of 25 and childhood immunisations were available to respond to the needs of these patients. Appointments were available outside of school hours. A range of contraceptive and family planning services were available. The premises was suitable for children and babies.

Updated 3 March 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people. The practice offered personalised care to meet their needs. Older patients had access to a named GP, a multi-disciplinary team approach to their care, home visits when needed and targeted immunisations such as the flu vaccine. A range of enhanced services were provided such as those for end of life care. 

Updated 3 March 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of working age people (including those recently retired and students). The practice offered online services such as appointment booking and repeat prescriptions. There was additional out of working hours access to meet the needs of working age patients. There was extended opening at The Village Surgery on Monday until 8.45pm. Routine health checks were available for patients between 40 and 74 years old. The practice encouraged feedback and participation from patients of working age through the virtual patient participation group (an online community of patients who work with the practice to discuss and develop the services provided).

Updated 3 March 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). The practice worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of patients experiencing poor mental health including those with dementia. Patients experiencing dementia also received a care plan specific to their needs and an annual health check. A mental health trust well-being worker was based at the branch surgery once each week and patients could be referred to them by the GPs. There were GP leads for mental health, dementia and depression.

Updated 3 March 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. The practice held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including those with learning disabilities. Patients with a learning disability received an annual health review and there was a GP lead for these patients. The practice worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people. The practice maintained a register of patients who were identified as carers and additional information was available for those patients. There was a nominated carers’ champion to provide carers with a first point of contact in the practice. Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse in vulnerable people and were aware of their responsibilities in raising safeguarding concerns. The practice tackled inequity by identifying and addressing the specific needs of patients and enabling their full access to services.