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| Healthcare Commission Visit- December 2006 |
The following is a summary of the Heathcare Commission visit this year. The full document can be found by clicking on the following link http://www.healthcarecommission.org.uk
This inspection took place on 8th December 2006, and was announced.
Main findings
Overall, the establishment provides a service that meets the needs of its clients, within an environment that is clean, well maintained, comfortable, and adequately staffed. Equipment and facilities are appropriate to the service offered, and are of a good standard overall, and the registered manager was helpful, professional and courteous at all times during the inspection. The quality of treatment is delivered to a satisfactory standard, in line with accepted protocols. Patients interviewed were very satisfied with the service and commented around their trust of Dr. Stellon and were grateful for the treatment and support given. The Healthcare Commission would like to take this opportunity to thank the provider for the assistance given in this inspection.
Achievements
The management is very supportive of all staff and in developing the services of The Abbey Practice. They play a key role in the day-to-day running of the establishment and have maintained a high level of compliance since registration. | | | Healthcare Commission Visit- November 2005 |
On Wednesday 23rd November 2005 our annual visit by the Healthcare Commission took place. This visit is undertaken yearly and looks at the workings of the Practice to see if it is fit to provide medical services to the Public.
The following is a condensed report. A full report can be found on the Healthcare Commission Website.
Inspection report 2005/2006
Introduction
Independent healthcare providers in England must be registered with the Healthcare Commission. To register, they need to demonstrate compliance with the Care Standards Act 2000 and associated regulations. The Healthcare Commission tests providers’ compliance at least annually by assessing each registered establishment against a set of National Minimum Standards, which were published by the Government for that purpose and set out the expected standards for different types of independent health services. Our inspections are targeted to areas of potential risk. They focus on areas where previous inspections, the establishment’s own data and inspectors’ observations suggest potential risks. Further areas are also added as spot checks. In general, a smaller number of standards assessed at inspection reflects a strong ability in the establishment to demonstrate satisfactory performance. In addition to this report, the establishment has received fuller information about the basis for the inspection findings, which is available on request from the Healthcare Commission (Independent Healthcare), Finsbury Tower, 103-105 Bunhill Row, London EC1Y 8TG. The establishment’s action plan, which sets out the steps it is taking in response to inspection findings, may be requested from Janet Stellon, the Registered Manager, The Abbey Practice, 107 London Road, Temple Ewell, Dover, Kent, CT16 3BY.
Background and main findings
The Abbey Practice is an establishment offering a variety of private doctor services, including general medical consultations and acupuncture for pain control, for patients from birth. The establishment was registered in March 2005 and this has been the first inspection since registration. The establishment is located in a residential area of Temple Ewell, near Dover, with car parking and public transport nearby. This inspection took place on 23 November 2005. The Healthcare Commission carries out one third of its inspections in the independent sector without prior notice, and this inspection was announced.
Main findings
Overall, the establishment provides a service that meets the needs of its clients, within an environment that is clean, well maintained, comfortable, and adequately staffed. Equipment and facilities were appropriate to the service offered, and were of a good standard overall, and the registered manager was helpful, professional and courteous at all times during the inspection. Informal quality assurance and risk management systems were in place, although more formalised systems were suggested. The quality of treatment was delivered to a satisfactory standard, in line with accepted protocols. The inspector noted that documentation of client care was consistent and accurate, but suggested that more policies should be implemented to ensure a robust audit framework. The inspector had the opportunity to speak with 5 patients during the inspection, and all were very complimentary in their comments about the service and the staff. The inspector also reviewed documents and had discussions with the registered manager and doctor. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the provider for the assistance given in this inspection. | |
| Resignation letter to patients-2004 |
It is with regret that I am informing you that after twenty-seven years in medicine, seventeen of those years in general practice, I have decided to resign from the National Health Service as a general practitioner. This will mean that as from the 1st January 2005 I will no longer be a general practitioner.
I will however continue to practice as an Independent Medical Practitioner from these surgery premises providing both the same type of medical care that I have provided over the past 25 years together with newer and different medical services. More information on what services and their cost will be available by mid December and will be posted on this website or in the Practice itself.
The reasons that I have resigned are summarised below.
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New GP contracts are now being put in place to start in April 2004. Being a single-handed practice with no appointment system, this will not affect the care to our patients and you will notice no real change in the services provided. However, there are two key elements in the contract, one of which may have profound effects on the medical care you will now receive in the future.
The first of these is what is called out-of-hours cover. This is the cover given during the time the practice closes, i.e. 6.00 p.m. every evening to 7.00 a.m. the following day and all of the weekend. At present, myself and other Doctors in the area share this workload amongst us to cover these hours. This will now stop with the introduction of the new contract; from 1st April the Out of Hours Service will provide care. During these out-of-hours you will have to make a phone call to a Call Centre, which will probably be staffed by a Nurse. Depending on your symptoms you will be advised either go to Casualty or attend a Medical Centre or, rarely, get a home visit. If you are told to attend a Medical Centre a nurse, who will either treat you directly, send you to Casualty or pass you over to a Doctor for a second opinion, will see you. If you are visited at home Paramedics or a Nurse will probably do this, but rarely is it likely to be by a Doctor.
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This year has been a momentous occasion in that it is twenty-five years since I qualified in Medicine and at the same time ten years since being a single-handed general practitioner at the Abbey Practice.
Over these twenty-five years I have tried my hand at many aspects of medicine, namely research into liver disease and osteoporosis; gastro-intestinal endoscopy, i.e. looking at your gut from the top or bottom with a telescope, hypnotherapy, homoeopathy, acupuncture, occupational health and more recently trauma medicine. All aspects of this teaching have been put into my current working practice, as you are all well aware, especially the endoscopy and acupuncture. What I believe is that one cannot stop learning and to this day I am still learning about diseases and how they present. Some of you may have experienced my interest on itching without the presence of a rash, which showed that it could result from problems in the nerves of your body and be helped by acupuncture. Beware; I have some more quirky ideas!
Lastly, ten years ago there were ten single-handed general practitioners practising in the Dover / Deal area. Sadly, by the time this newsletter is published the Abbey Practice will be the last solo practice in Dover / Deal. Many of you, from publications in the local press and letters put in the surgery, are aware of my feelings on the subject. The next two years will determine whether this Health Authority and Government have any desire to keep solo practices, as I believe that the setting of unachievable targets with financial penalties associated with not achieving them will result in closure of this practice. Watch this space for more information. |
The Abbey Practice situated in the village of Temple Ewell on the outskirts of Dover, Kent, was established in 1992 by Dr A Stellon and looked after patients from the nearby villages in the ward of Dover. The average number of patients on the Practice list, from 1992 -2004, was 1900 patients . The Practice provided, as part of the NHS, general medical care with additional options for treatment using complementary medical techniques as well as traditional drug based procedures. The Practice has and still runs its own on site dispensary which has provided medication for over 90% of the patients who were registered. Other services which were provided on the NHS were Travel medicine, Acupuncture and Chiropody as well as Minor Surgery. 