Buxton GP surgery praised rated as 'good' following inspection

Buxton Medical Practice was inspected by the Care Quality Commission, CQC, last month and the report has now been published. The Temple Road practice was rated good in all areas.

Chief Inspector of Health Care, Dr Sean O’Kelly from the CQC, said: “The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.

“Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs and staff dealt with patients with kindness and respect and involved them in decisions about their care. Patients could access care and treatment in a timely way and the way the practice was led and managed promoted the delivery of high-quality, person-centre care.”

Dr Tom Miller from Buxton Medical Practice said: “It has been nine years since our last inspection and since then so much has changed. We have lived through a pandemic, became a vaccine centre and delivered 30,000 covid jabs as well as seeing patients and all the while kept our compassion and quality and it’s nice to know the inspectors agree that standards have been kept high.

“This rating is a testament to the whole team from the receptionists who answer the phone to the nurses and doctors who see patients. We couldn’t be the surgery we are without their dedication and hard work, so thank you.”

The practice is open between 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday and offers a range of appointment types, including book on the day, telephone consultations and advance appointments. It has extended opening hours from 6.30pm to 8pm on Tuesdays; this is part of the Primary Care Network’s extended access scheme which provides appointments at a named location from 6.30pm to 8pm Monday to Thursday. In addition, the scheme offers advanced nurse practitioner appointments on a Friday evening and over the weekend at Buxton Cottage Hospital and New Mills Walk-In-Centre.

Looking at what the surgery can do going forward Dr Sean O’Kelly said: “Buxton Medical Practice should continue to develop its approach to infection prevention and control to ensure the practice achieves full compliance with standard as well as complete all necessary sections of ‘Do Not Attempt Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation documentation, and review the decisions at appropriate intervals.”

Another point raised in the inspection was that the practice needs to ’continue to improve the uptake of childhood immunisations and cancer screening’ and provide easy access to the cloud based telephone system to the reception team to enable them to respond to demand more efficiently.

Praising the surgery following its recent inspection, patient Richard Bullard added: “We moved to Buxton three years ago having been used to a very good rural practice in Wiltshire. “Our experience of Buxton Medical Practice, and its staff, has been absolutely first class given the pressures under which the NHS has been operating over this period.

“The use of technology and of clinicians with different, but complementary skills, provides patients with a responsive and effective service. I am a volunteer working on the wards at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport so I have some knowledge of just how tough things can be which makes the performance of Buxton Medical Practice even more remarkable.”