To provide the best possible health care for our patients. To promote better physical and mental health by offering a planned programme of health promotion and preventative care This is based on national and local guidelines and is aimed at those most at risk. To ensure that services are easily accessible, efficient and responsive to the needs of the patient. To maintain a pleasant, safe and efficient working environment for everyone working in the practice To include all members of the team in decision-making by encouraging teamwork and good communication To ensure that practice income is maximised so that services can be improved and partners and staff are fairly rewarded.
 

Practice history

The practice was founded in the 1930s on Marine Avenue, Whitley Bay. The practice gradually expanded and moved to its present site in October 2006. The practice is a General Medical Services practice in contract with North Tyneside PCT. We hope GMS will enable us to improve services to our patients to be able to work with more flexibility and improve and expand our practice team.
 

LOCATION AND Premises

The surgery is situated on a main road near the centre of Whitley Bay opposite Souter Park next to Monkseaton Metro Station. There are bus stops near our new premises and a car park for patients to the rear of the new premises and also on the main roads surrounding the residential streets.

	Click on the map for more detail (Link to Google Maps UK)

The premises is leased by the partners and comprises of the following:

Ground floor: reception area, waiting room with children’s play area, interview room, 4 doctors’ consulting rooms, 2 treatment rooms, minor surgery suite (with recovery room), health visitor’s room, clinical storeroom, cleaning storeroom and patients’ toilet. There is wheelchair access throughout the ground floor. Lift access available between floors.

First floor: district nurse room, counselling/psychologist room, secretary’s office, practice managers’ office, meeting/training room, general office/reception, staff kitchen, computer room, stationery storeroom, multipurpose/library room and staff toilet.
 

Facilities

The practice has two fully equipped treatment rooms with a separate minor surgery suite and recovery room. We are fully computerised with desktop terminals and printers in each room. Appointments are computerised. The practice is linked electronically to the Tyne and Wear Contractor Services Agency for registration of new patients and North Tyneside District General Hospital for patient pathology results.
 

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

The practice is 'paperlight' and all doctors and nurses consult using the computer record. We have a practice Intranet and a website which we are currently developing. We have access to high quality clinical decision support from the Internet. GP partners use handheld palms to record contacts with patients outside of the surgery and upload the information on their return. We also scan all hospital correspondence to enable Health Care Professionals access to scanned documents when consulting. We are also looking to enable GPs to check letters by using the document management dataflow system without sifting through paper.

We are actively involved in all I.T. initiatives including Choose and Book where GPs will be encouraged to use the Direct Booking Service (DBS).

Voice recognition software is to be piloted in the practice.

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