Church Grange Surgery

Background

Church Grange Surgery is a long established medical practice serving the residents of Basingstoke and the surrounding countryside up to a radius of seven miles. From 1950 to 1974 the surgery was in Church Square but due to the constraints of space in these premises and the redevelopment of the town centre the partnership moved to our current building; a purpose built health centre in the middle of Basingstoke. The health centre provides facilities for two practices.

The practice list size was approximately 19,000 from the early 1960s until 1987 when the partnership acquired a branch surgery in Lychpit to the north of the town. The practice list then grew to approximately 21,000. The number of partners also increased at that time to ten. The current partners are Richard Turner, Maureen Ashworth (part time), Judith Pagdin, Gemma Adamson (part time), David Knight, Cedric Cochrane, Andrew Cole, Richard Trueman, Graham (Sam) Hullah and Euphan Hunter. Lande Newton is the practice business manager.

The Surgeries

Church Grange & Lychpit Surgeries have always provided a comprehensive service to their patients and had no difficulties implementing the New Contract in 1991, we developed the opportunities available with fundholding and now have an active roll in the new PCG (soon to be PCT). We obviously achieve the higher target levels on immunisation and cervical smears. We have always provided a good standard of minor surgical procedures and again receive maximum income. With the help of the practice nurses and health visitors we continue to hold a variety of health promotion clinics and previously achieved the band 3 targets. The surgeries operate personal lists.

The partnership has always enjoyed a very good relationship with the local district hospital which we try hard to maintain. There has always been direct access to physiotherapy, X-ray, etc. but, with the development of fund holding, direct access is now fairly comprehensive. The hospital has an active post graduate centre offering weekly lunch time meetings as well as various courses and talks. The centre is currently being developed into a state of the art centre catering for medical education.

Other Activities

There is a general practice-training scheme at the North Hampshire Hospital, in Basingstoke. We have a long history as a training practice and regularly have trainees for 6 to 12 month periods.

Cedric and Richard Trueman are currently the trainers. Previously Gemma and Richard Turner were trainers. Judith is an examiner for video assessment for accreditation. We also teach third year and final year medical students from Southampton and occasionally students from the London Medical schools. This teaching is co-ordinated by the two Richards.

The partners at Church Grange have a wide variety of medical interests, this is encouraged and adds to the level of expertise in the practice. Richard Turner provides the allergy service for the North Hampshire Hospital and Judith is a clinical assistant in the Breast clinic. Gemma was previously a clinical assistant in Dermatology and is now a clinical assistant in Ophthalmology. David is a clinical assistant in the Diabetic clinic and works with Prof Bill Heald and Mr Brendan Moran in their sigmoidoscopy clinic. He provides a sigmoidoscopy service at the practice. Andy performs vasectomies and Cedric is developing his interest in travel medicine.

We also have appointments to local businesses. Andy is the company doctor for Wiggins Teape. Cedric is company doctor for Sainsburys, Richard Trueman is company doctor for De La Rue and Euphan for Surtech. We provide medical examinations for Australia House and the Civil Service as well as various insurance companies. From time to time, the practice is involved in clinical trials and carrying out executive medical examinations for local companies.

The Computer

The practice is fully computerised using System 5 software from AAH Meditel. We intend to upgrade our system possibly to System 6000 the new UNIX / Windows based software. We have been purchasing a number of workstations in anticipation of this upgrade and have upgraded the main server. We are linked to the FHSA for capitation and hope to be linked soon for items of service. Richard Trueman is a senior user on the North Hampshire Hospital pathology links project and sits on the IT sub committee for the PCG.

The Future

We are a forward thinking, innovative practice and became fundholders on 1 April 1992, joining the second wave of the scheme. Mrs Lande Newton our business manager had the day to day responsibility for this, she is now closely involved in the PCG. Judith sits on the PCG board and provides a valuable insight for the practice and partners regarding local developments.

At the end of 1992 as part of the DTI initiative a management consultant visited the practice. The partnership was assisted in developing a strategy for the future. Consequently a system of portfolios for individual partners was expanded and each partner has responsibility for important areas of practice management. We have regular portfolio meetings to feedback information to the partners and an annual away day for more detailed strategy. We also have regular clinical meetings. Our current emphasis is on an evidence-based approach to medical practice.

Out Of Hours - on call

From June 1996 the local GPs joined together to provide an out of hours co-operative service - Hantsdoc. This covers around 85 GPs patients and has improved the out of hours cover for the patients and the doctors!

The Town

Basingstoke has a population of 101,500 (1991 Census) and is continuing to grow. Originally a market town it has undergone various housing expansions, firstly during the war, again in the 1960s and expansion continues to the north and south of the town. The majority of employment now is in white-collar jobs such as the Civil Service, IBM, and the AA. There is some light industry and Basingstoke is part of the "silicone valley." Housing is of a good general standard and unemployment is low.

There are comprehensive sport and recreational activities in Basingstoke including the Anvil (a new concert hall and conference centre), a theatre, a ten screen cinema, ice rink and ten pin bowling alley. There are a number of golf courses and several sports clubs. Unspoilt countryside and some picturesque villages surround the town. We are just 45 minutes away from London by train and 30 miles from the coast. The road network within Basingstoke is excellent. The M3 and M4 provide easy access to other parts of the country.

The Web Site

For a little more information, please also view the practice web site or the Hantsdoc co-operative web site.

Contact details

Church Grange
Great Binfields Road
Lychpit
Basingstoke
Hampshire
RG24 8TF
Tel: 01256 329021
Fax: 01256 817466
Web: http://www.crownheightsmedicalcentre.co.uk/