Victoria Cross Surgery

Victoria Cross Surgery is located in Swindon, Wiltshire, and is one of 25 practices serving the NHS Swindon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area. The practice has occupied its current, purpose-built premises since 1993, and is arranged over three floors. All patient services including nurse treatment and GP consulting rooms are located on the ground and first floors. Following a recent (April 2018) merger with another local practice, Victoria Cross Surgery has changed the size and location of its branch site. Address details for the branch site are:

Eldene Health Centre

Eldene Drive

Swindon

SN3 3RZ

The practice has around 7,500 registered patients from an area surrounding the practice and Swindon town centre. The practice age distribution is broadly in line with the national average, with most patients being of working age or older.

The practice has a Primary Medical Services (PMS) contract to deliver health care services. A PMS contract is a locally agreed alternative to the standard General Medical Services contract (used when services are agreed locally with a practice), and may include additional services beyond the standard contract.

The provider, Dr Philip Gnana Asirvatham Bauliah, who is male, is registered with the Care Quality Commission as a single-handed practice, and there are three salaried GPs (two male, one female). The wider clinical team consists of two treatment room nurses, three advanced nurse practitioners, one Health Care Assistant (HCA) and a clinical pharmacist. The practice also employs a paramedic practitioner (paramedic practitioners generally work alongside and support community health care and GPs, delivering treatment to lower acuity patients often with long–term conditions). The practice/business manager is concerned with the day-to-day running of the practice, along with administrative, secretarial and reception staff.

87% of the practice population describes itself as white, and around 13% as having a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background. A measure of deprivation in the local area recorded a score of 7, on a scale of 1-10. A higher score indicates a less deprived area. (Note that the circumstances and lifestyles of the people living in an area affect its deprivation score. Not everyone living in a deprived area is deprived and not all deprived people live in deprived areas).

Victoria Cross Surgery is open from 8.30am to 6pm, Monday to Friday. The reception desk is open but phone lines are closed from 1pm to 2pm, Monday to Friday. During that time callers can leave a message on the practice answer machine, or access the GP emergency line. Routine GP appointments are generally available from 8.30am to 5.30pm, Monday to Friday. The practice provides (pre-booked only) extended hours evening appointments from 6.15pm to 8pm on Monday, with a GP and nurse; and for one Saturday morning per month. All extended hours appointments can be pre-booked up to four weeks in advance.

The practice has opted out of providing Out-Of-Hours services to its own patients. Outside of normal practice hours, patients can access the NHS 111 service, and an Out-Of-Hours GP is available at Swindon Walk-In Centre. Information about the Out-Of-Hours service was available on the practice website, on the front door, in the patient registration pack, and as an answerphone message.