Phoenix Medical Practice - Care Quality Commission

Background to this inspection

Updated 15 May 2017

Phoenix Medical Practice is situated in Burham, Rochester, Kent and has a registered patient population of approximately 4,287. There are more patients registered between the ages of 40 and 79 years than the national average. There are fewer patients registered between the ages of 20 and 34 years as well as the age of 80 years and above than the national average. The practice is located in an area with a lower than average deprivation score.

The practice staff consists of two GP partners (one male and one female), one salaried GP, one practice manager, one dispensary manager, three practice nurses (all female), one healthcare assistant / receptionist (female) as well as administration, reception and dispensary staff. The practice also employs locum GPs via an agency. There are reception and waiting areas on the ground floor. Patient areas are accessible to patients with mobility issues, as well as parents with children and babies.

The practice is a training practice (training practices have GP trainees and FY2 doctors) and dispenses medicines.

The practice has a general medical services contract with NHS England for delivering primary care services to the local community.

Services are provided from:

Phoenix Surgery, 33 Bell Lane, Burham, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3SX, and
Eccles Surgery, White House, Eccles, Maidstone, Kent, ME20 7HX.

Phoenix Surgery is open Monday and Thursday 8.30am to 5pm, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 8.30am to 6pm. Extended hours appointments are offered Tuesday and Wednesday 7am to 8am.

Eccles Surgery is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 8.30am to 1pm and Thursday 8.30am to 5pm.

Primary medical services are available to patients via an appointments system. There are a range of clinics for all age groups as well as the availability of specialist nursing treatment and support. There are arrangements with other providers (Integrated Care 24) to deliver services to patients outside of the practice’s working hours.

During this inspection we visited:

Phoenix Surgery, 33 Bell Lane, Burham, Rochester, Kent, ME1 3SX, and
Eccles Surgery, White House, Eccles, Maidstone, Kent, ME20 7HX.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 15 May 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Phoenix Medical Practice on 8 November 2016. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the November 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Phoenix Medical Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 4 April 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 8 November 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 revised systems, processes and practices to help keep patients, staff and visitors safe.
The practice was able to demonstrate they were following guidance on the management of medicines.
The practice was able to demonstrate that risks to patients, staff and visitors were being assessed and well managed.
Some staff had received training to help them identify patients who were also carers. The practice had identified 75 patients on the practice list who were also carers.
The practice had introduced a system so that patients were able to make appointments online.
The practice had revised complaints management and was able to demonstrate that complaints received an initial acknowledgement letter within the time frame stipulated in their complaints policy.
Governance arrangements had been revised to help ensure they were effectively implemented.
The practice had revised the system that managed and recorded actions taken as the result of receiving national patient safety alerts.

However, there were also areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

The provider should:

Continue to identify patients who are also carers to help ensure eligible patients are offered relevant support.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)

Chief Inspector of General Practice