Updated 8 November 2018
The provider, The Whalebridge Practice, delivers all regulated activities from its sole location at:
The Whalebridge Practice
Swindon NHS Centre
1 Islington Street,
Swindon
Wiltshire
SN1 2DQ
Tel: 01793 692933
Website: www.whalebridge.nhs.uk
The Whalebridge Practice is based in Swindon, Wiltshire, and is one of 25 practices serving the NHS Swindon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area. The Whalebridge Practice shares Swindon NHS Centre with a range of other services such as a pharmacy, another NHS GP practice, dental and podiatry services. A staffed reception area is located on the ground floor whilst a self-check-in reception area is on the first floor, along with nurse treatment and GP consulting rooms.
The practice has around 11,499 registered patients from an area surrounding the practice and Swindon town centre. The practice age distribution is broadly in line with the national average, with most patients being of working age or older. The Whalebridge Practice is a member of a new federation of practices, named the Swindon Voice Federation. The aim of the federation is to provide a support network across practices.
The practice has a Personal Medical Services (PMS) contract to deliver health care services. PMS contracts are locally-agreed alternatives to the standard General Medical Services contract, and used when services are agreed locally with a practice. They may include additional services beyond the standard contract.
The Whalebridge Practice provides the following regulated activities:
- Treatment of disease, disorder or injury
- Diagnostic and screening procedures
- Family planning
- Maternity and midwifery services
- Surgical procedures
There are three GP partners (all male). The wider clinical team consists of two practice nurses, one senior practice nurse and one Health Care Assistant (HCA), who is also a phlebotomist. The practice manager is concerned with the day-to-day running of the practice. The practice team also includes an office manager, and reception, administrative and secretarial staff.
79% of the practice population describes itself as white, and around 21% as having a Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) background. A measure of deprivation in the local area recorded a score of 5, on a scale of 1-10. A higher score indicates a less deprived area. (Note that the circumstances and lifestyles of the people living in an area affect its deprivation score. Not everyone living in a deprived area is deprived and not all deprived people live in deprived areas).
The Whalebridge Practice is open from 8am to 6.30pm, Monday to Friday, and the practice will take calls during these times. Routine GP appointments are available after 10am, with urgent appointments available between 8am and 10am, Monday to Friday. The practice provides (pre-booked only) extended hours morning appointments from 7.30 am to 8am on Monday, Wednesday and Friday; and from 7am to 8am on Tuesday and Friday (all with a GP and nurse).
The practice has opted out of providing Out-Of-Hours services to its own patients. Outside of normal practice hours, patients can access the NHS 111 service, and an Out-Of-Hours GP is available at Swindon Walk-In Centre. Information about the Out-Of-Hours service was available on the practice website, on the front door, in the patient registration pack, and as an answerphone message.