Links to Bow Surgery Website and NHS Choices

Links to British Medical Journal “rapid responses” by GPs in Bow published since 1999.

Link to NHS Beacon Practice Award (.pdf) to Bow Surgery early 2000s.


Bow Surgery Premises

From about 1900, there had been a surgery consulting room in Fair Park – the doctor’s house in Bow. In 1984 purpose built premises were built in the grounds of Fair Park. Three months before Dr Stephenson’s contract was terminated, the PCT began building a Portakabin surgery beside the Bow playing field, without planning permission, which was obtained retrospectively. According to responses to Freedom of Information requests the annual rental of the Portakabins is £70,668, plus £5,200 ground rent. This is more than five times the £14,100 annual rent paid by the PCT for the previously used building.

A condition of the planning consent is that use of the Portakabin “...shall be discontinued on or before 31st March 2012.”

In May 2011, Bow Medical Practice was granted Planning Permission for new surgery premises at the East end of Bow Village. The new facility “will open during Spring 2012”.

Patient Outcome Data

• Life Expectancy in the Bow area is generally above local and national averages, ranging from 79 years in North Tawton to 83 years in Taw Ward. This is also reflected in the fact that standardised death rates are below the national average....
• Rates of hospital admissions, emergency admissions and A&E attendances for the Bow area are generally below the Devon average, with particularly low levels of cardiology, ENT, COPD and emergency admissions.
• Poor General Health and Limiting Long-Term illness, as reported in the 2001 Census, is generally well below national and local averages.
• Estimates of health lifestyle behaviours suggest that Bow area has below average levels of smoking and obesity, and higher levels of fruit and vegetable consumption.

New PMS Contract

A member of the public at the PCT Board Meeting in Crediton on 27th May 2009, asked how it was that Devon Health Ltd had been awarded the Bow PMS contract jointly with Dr Andy Bower, when Devon Health had said that they had not bid for the practice. She was told that the Board members ... did not have the information to hand (para 475.14) (.pdf). But both the Chief Executive, Dr Kevin Snee and the Chair, Dr David Radford - who had apparently approved the joint appointment - were present at that meeting. As the Procurement Process for Primary Medical Services in Bow (.pdf) (Devon PCT document) states “Evaluation team to seek chief executive and chair approval of the Evaluation teams’ recommendation [of winning bidder]”.

Patient Satisfaction before and after.

Since 2006/07 the NHS has commissioned patient satisfaction surveys. The format of the questionnaires varies slightly each year.
The two tables below summarise the Patient Satisfaction Survey results from Bow Surgery.
The first table is for 2006-07 i.e. before Dr Bower joined the Bow Practice.
The second table is for the first half of 2009-10 i.e. after Dr Stephenson had his PMS contract removed.

Results of GP Patient Access Survey (.xls) 2006-7 – while Dr Stephenson was working in Bow To see the full results, click on the link above and then chose the ‘Access’ worksheet. The figures are percentages of patients responding reporting satisfaction.	Telephone access	48 Hour access to GP	Advanced booking	Appointment with specific GP
Devon PCT Average	93	91	82	92
Bow Surgery	99	100	86	96

Devon PCT League Table first two quarters 2009-10 - after Dr Stephenson stopped working in Bow To see the full results, click on the link above and then chose the ‘Overall Satisfaction’ worksheet. % “Very satisfied with care received in surgery"
1	EXE VALLEY PRACTICE	90%		55	SOUTHERNHAY HOUSE SURGERY	69%
2	CHERITON BISHOP SURGERY	89%		56	DEVON SQUARE SURGERY	69%
3	REDFERN HEALTH CENTRE	89%		57	CASTLE GARDENS SURGERY	68%
4	LYNTON HEALTH CENTRE	89%		58	LIFTON SURGERY	68%
5	BUCKLAND SURGERY	84%		59	ST.LEONARD'S MED PRACTICE	67%
6	SHEBBEAR SURGERY	83%		60	ST.THOMAS HEALTH CENTRE	67%
7	MORETONHAMPSTEAD HEALTH CENTRE	82%		61	ISCA MEDICAL PRACTICE	67%
8	HALDON HOUSE SURGERY	82%		62	WARWICK PRACTICE	66%
9	WYNDHAM HOUSE SURGERY	82%		63	KINGSTEIGNTON MEDICAL PRACTICE	66%
10	CHILLINGTON HEALTH CENTRE	80%		64	HATHERLEIGH MEDICAL CENTRE	65%
11	CASTLE PLACE PRACTICE	79%		65	HOLSWORTHY MEDICAL CENTRE	65%
12	WHARFSIDE SURGERY	79%		66	STANNARY SURGERY	65%
13	SAMPFORD PEVERELL SURGERY	79%		67	DR RUSSELL & PARTNERS	65%
14	BAMPTON SURGERY	79%		68	HEAVITREE PRACTICE	65%
15	BRANNAMS MEDICAL CENTRE	78%		69	GLENDEVON MEDICAL CENTRE	65%
16	WEMBURY SURGERY	78%		70	HONITON SURGERY - BARBER	65%
17	SOUTH BRENT HEALTH CENTRE	78%		71	CAEN MEDICAL CENTRE	64%
18	CLOCK TOWER SURGERY	78%		72	FREMINGTON MEDICAL CENTRE	64%
19	LEATSIDE SURGERY	77%		73	ABBEY SURGERY	64%
20	BLACK TORRINGTON SURGERY	77%		74	TORRINGTON HEALTH CENTRE	64%
21	WOODBURY SURGERY	77%		75	PINHOE SURGERY	64%
22	KINGSKERSWELL & IPPLEPEN MED PRACTICE	76%		76	ALBANY SURGERY	64%
23	SOUTH LAWN MEDICAL PRACTICE	76%		77	COLLEGE SURGERY PARTNERSHIP	63%
24	BLACKDOWN PRACTICE	76%		78	CLARE HOUSE	63%
25	AXMINSTER MEDICAL PRACTICE	75%		79	SEATON & COLYTON MEDICAL PRACTICE	63%
26	MODBURY HEALTH CENTRE	75%		80	MID DEVON MEDICAL PRACTICE	62%
27	CHAGFORD HEALTH CENTRE	75%		81	HILL BARTON SURGERY	62%
28	TOWNSEND HOUSE MEDICAL CENTRE	74%		82	SID VALLEY PRACTICE	61%
29	CATHERINE HOUSE SURGERY	74%		83	BOUTPORT MEDICAL CENTRE	61%
30	BARNFIELD HILL SURGERY	74%		84	MOUNT PLEASANT HEALTH CENTRE - HELLIAR	61%
31	BARTON SURGERY	74%		85	NORTON BROOK MEDICAL CENTRE	61%
32	BRADWORTHY SURGERY	74%		86	RALEIGH SURGERY	60%
33	YEALM MEDICAL CENTRE	74%		87	HONITON SURGERY - SEAMARK	60%
34	IMPERIAL SURGERY	73%		88	OKEHAMPTON MEDICAL CENTRE	60%
35	CLAREMONT MEDICAL PRACTICE	73%		89	WOODA SURGERY	60%
36	ASHBURTON SURGERY	73%		90	DEN CRESCENT SURGERY	59%
37	BIDEFORD MEDICAL CENTRE	72%		91	SOUTH MOLTON HEALTH CENTRE	59%
38	NEWCOMBES SURGERY	72%		92	WATERSIDE PRACTICE	59%
39	TOPSHAM SURGERY	72%		93	WONFORD GREEN SURGERY	59%
40	OKEMENT PRIMARY CARE CENTRE	72%		94	BUCKFASTLEIGH MEDICAL CENTRE	58%
41	IDE LANE SURGERY	71%		95	FOXHAYES PRACTICE	58%
42	WESTBANK PRACTICE	71%		96	BUDLEIGH SALTERTON MEDICAL PRACTICE	57%
43	HARTLAND SURGERY	71%		97	IVYBRIDGE HEALTH CENTRE	56%
44	WHIPTON SURGERY	71%		98	BOVEY TRACEY & CHUDLEIGH PRACTICE	56%
45	CHAPEL PLATT SURGERY	71%		99	WALLINGBROOK HEALTH CENTRE	56%
46	COLERIDGE MEDICAL CENTRE	71%		100	NORTH TAWTON MEDICAL PRACTICE	55%
47	BRAMBLEHAIES SURGERY	70%		101	BOW SURGERY	53%
48	ROLLE MEDICAL PARTNERSHIP	70%		102	RICHMOND HOUSE SURGERY	52%
49	CHIDDENBROOK SURGERY	69%		103	CRICKETFIELD SURGERY	52%
50	EAST STREET SURGERY	69%		104	DARTMOUTH MEDICAL PRACTICE	52%
51	HIGHLANDS HEALTH CENTRE	69%		105	CHANNEL VIEW SURGERY	52%
52	NORTHAM SURGERY	69%		106	BERE ALSTON MEDICAL PRACTICE	49%
53	YELVERTON SURGERY	69%		107	QUEEN'S MEDICAL CENTRE	48%
54	LITCHDON MEDICAL CENTRE	69%

All change at Bow Surgery

In September 2010 it was announced that popular doctor Kathryn Shore was quitting her job in Bow.   She had worked alongside Dr Bower for less than a year.   She will be replaced in the Bow Practice Partnership by Dr Susan Taheri who currently works in Okehampton.   Devon Health, who held the aPMS contract jointly with Dr Bower, will no longer be involved in the running of the practice.

Links to British Medical Journal “rapid responses” by GPs in Bow published since 1999.

• Fallacy that one month prescriptions save money
• Lack of response to Spence on QOF
• Conflict of interests of rapid response author
• Conflict of Interests - Drug companies and Osteoporosis Institute and authors
  
• Cholesterol lowering in women debate and QOF
• Beta blocker withdrawal and development of AF
• QOF as a medical breakthrough
• Cox II don’t reduce GI effects
• Polio vaccine risks
• Polio risk and patient advice
• Folic acid fortification of flour
• COX II risks vs low dose ibuprofen
• Whiplash disease
• Economics of screening for cystic fibrosis
• NICE influenza recommendations
• Prescribing antibiotics to babies
• Smoking cessation guidelines