Falkland Surgery

Updated 13 September 2019

Falkland Surgery is a purpose-built GP Surgery built in 2003 on the southern edge of Newbury town. The practice has core opening hours from 8am to 6:30pm Monday to Friday to enable patients to contact the practice. There is also evening phone consultation and face to face service for patients (6.30pm to 7pm). The practice opens on alternate Saturdays when it provides pre-bookable appointments between 8.30am to 11.30am. The practice also offers e-consultations via their web site.

There are around 13,800 patients registered with the practice. The practice population has a higher proportion of patients aged 40-65 compared to the national average. There is minimal deprivation according to national data. The prevalence of patients with a long term health problem is 60% compared to the national average of 54%.

Care and treatment is delivered by seven GP partners, two salaried GPs (there are three male GPs and six female GPs), a physiotherapist, 2 clinical pharmacists’, five practice nurses and one health care assistant. The clinical team are supported by a practice manager, a deputy practice manager and a team of administration staff. The practice is a training practice for GP Registrars. GP Registrars are qualified doctors who undertake additional training to gain experience and higher qualifications in general practice and family medicine.

The practice opted out of providing the out-of-hours service. Westcall provides out of hours cover and this service is accessed via the NHS 111 service. Advice on how to access the out-of-hours service is clearly displayed on the practice website and over the telephone when the surgery is closed.

The practice is registered with CQC to provide the following regulated activities:

• Treatment of disease, disorder and injury
• Maternity and midwifery services
• Diagnostic and screening procedures
• Family planning
• Surgical procedures

Services are provided from one location at:

Falkland Surgery, Monks Lane, Newbury, Berkshire, RG14 7DF.

Further information about the practice can be obtained from their website at www.falklandsurgery.co.uk.

Updated 13 September 2019

This practice is rated as Good overall. (Previous rating from inspection carried out in June 2015 – Good)

The key questions at this inspection are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Falkland Surgery on 31 October 2018 as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

• The practice had clear systems to manage risk so that safety incidents were less likely to happen. When incidents did happen, the practice learned from them and improved their processes.
• The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence- based guidelines.
• Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients found the appointment system easy to use and reported that they were able to access care when they needed urgent support and treatment. The practice had acted following below average feedback about access to appointments. The telephone system was in the process of being upgraded and additional staff had been recruited to offer a wider range of appointments.
• There was a strong focus on continuous learning and improvement at all levels of the organisation.
• Patient feedback about receiving compassionate care and treatment was consistently positive.
• The practice used technology to improve patient care and reduce risk.
• The practice was proactive in reducing the risk of patients developing long term medical conditions. For example, it identified and acted with patients at risk of developing diabetes.
• Patients with long term conditions could access support to deal with the psychological issues surrounding their physical condition. Talking therapy was available at the practice premises.
• The practice was active in supporting patients to deal with social issues as well as their physical health by providing clinics for social workers at the practice.
• At the time of the inspection the practice was unaware that exception reporting (the removal of patients from monitoring due to either contra indication of treatment or failure to attend for review) in 2017/18 had risen from the previous year.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

• The practice had completed a review of 472 patients who had a record of non-specific allergy. This resulted in 440 patients having a specific allergy entered in their records to support safer prescribing and treatment.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• The practice plan for increasing uptake of cervical screening requires monitoring and review to evaluate progress.
• The practice provided evidence that training in identifying signs of sepsis had been undertaken. The effectiveness of this training requires review with non-clinical staff.
• The practice should improve the system of reporting the removal of patients with long term conditions to more accurately reflect those that have not received the treatment and monitoring included in the national QOF incentive scheme.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP
Chief Inspector of General Practice

Please refer to the detailed report and the evidence tables for further information.

Updated 13 September 2019

Updated 11 December 2018

Updated 11 December 2018

Updated 11 December 2018

Updated 11 December 2018

Updated 11 December 2018