Updated 5 September 2018
New Valley Practice provides primary medical services to people living in the practice area and is located in Crediton with a dispensing branch surgery at Thorverton. A dispensing practice is where GPs are able to prescribe and dispense medicines directly to patients who live in a rural setting which is a set distance from a pharmacy.
New Valley Practice provides primary medical services to approximately 8934 patients. There is one registered location and a branch surgery:
New Valley PracticeNewcombes Medical CentreNewcombesCreditonDevonEX17 2AR
Thorverton Surgery (Branch with dispensary), The Bury, Thorverton Devon EX5 5NTOn 2 August 2018, we inspected the New Valley Practice at Crediton but did not revisit the branch surgery at Thorverton.
The practice population is in the seventh deprivation decile for deprivation. In a score of one to ten the lower the decile the more deprived an area is. There is a practice age distribution of male and female patients equivalent to national average figures. Average life expectancy for the area is similar to national figures with males living to an average age of 79 years and females to 83 years.
There is a team of four GP partners and three salaried GPs within the organisation. There are seven female and one male GPs. The team are supported by six qualified practice nurses, one health care assistant and a phlebotomist work across both practices. At Thorverton Surgery there are five dispensary staff working in the dispensary. There are additional administrative and reception staff managed by the deputy practice manager.
New Valley Practice is an approved training practice providing vocational placements for GPs, F2 doctors and year two medical students. One GP partner is approved to provide vocational training for GPs, and another GP partner approved to train second year post qualification doctors and medical students. A GP registrar was on placement at the time of the inspection but on leave.
Patients who use the practice have access to community staff including district nurses, community psychiatric nurses, health visitors, physiotherapists, mental health staff, counsellors, chiropodist and midwives.
The practice is open between Monday and Friday from 8.30am until 6pm, in line with local contracting arrangements. Extended hours are provided mid-week evenings after 6pm and every Saturday from 9 am until 11.15 am. Extended hours appointments are pre-bookable and preferably for patients that find it difficult to come to the surgery during normal working hours and cannot be made on the day. Outside of these hours a service is provided by another health care provider by patients dialling the national 111 service.
Routine appointments are available daily and are bookable up to six weeks in advance. Urgent appointments are made available on the day and telephone consultations also take place.