Ferry Road Health Centre

Updated 16 February 2017

Ferry Road Health Centre offers general medical services to the people of Rye. There are approximately 3600 registered patients. The practice is able to dispense medicines to its patients living within a one mile radius of the practice. The practice also offers some appointments at three branch surgeries.

Ferry Road Health Centre is run by a single GP (male) with the support of two session GPs (long term locums, both female). The practice is also supported by an Advanced Nurse Practitioner, three practice nurses, two health care assistants, a dispensary manager, dispensary assistant and a team of receptionists, administrative staff and a practice manager.

The practice runs a number of services for its patients including asthma, diabetes and chronic heart disease clinics, child immunisation clinics, well women clinics, anti-coagulation medicine testing, new patient checks and National Health Service health checks for 40-75 year olds. Antenatal, post-natal and six week baby checks are available. The practice also carries out minor surgical procedures on the premises.

Services are provided at:

Ferry Road, Rye, East Sussex TN31 7DN

Opening hours are Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm

Consultations are available at the main surgery on:

Monday 8.40am to 12.10pm and 2pm to 6.20pm.

Tuesday 8.10am to 10.50pm and 1.10pm to 4.20pm.

Wednesday 9.10am to 11.50pm and 1.10am to 3.30pm

Thursday 9am to 11.50pm and 2pm to 4.50pm

Friday 8.40am to 11.50pm and 1.10pm to 4.20pm

Saturday 9am to 10.20am alternate Saturdays by pre booked appointment only.

Consultations are also available at:

Brookland Surgery Wednesday 12.30pm to 1.30pm

Winchelsea Beach Surgery Wednesday 2.30pm to 3.30pm

Camber Surgery Thursday 12.30pm to 13.30pm

When the practice is closed patients are advised by telephone message to call the NHS 111 service. This service would direct the patient to the appropriate out of hours provider. Information on how to access out of hours care was also available on the practice web site.

The practice population has a slightly lower number of patients below the age of 19 than the national average. There is also a higher percentage than both the clinical commissioning group  (CCG) and national averages of patients aged 65 or more. There is a higher than average number of patients with a long standing health condition and slightly higher than average number of patients with a caring responsibility. The percentage of registered patients who have health related problems in daily life is a higher than the CCG or national averages. The percentage of registered patients suffering deprivation affecting adults is similar to that for the CCG or the national average. The percentage of registered patients suffering deprivation affecting children is just above the CCG average and higher than the national average.

Updated 16 February 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Ferry Road Health Centre on 19 August 2016. The overall rating for the practice was Good, but breaches of legal requirements were found in the safe domain. The practice were found to be good in the effective, caring, responsive and well-led domains but required improvement in the safe domain. The full comprehensive report on the August 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Ferry Road Health Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

At the previous inspection of August 2016 our key findings were as follows:

• The practice were not ensuring the proper and safe management of medicines. Specifically refrigerators were not being monitored daily and controlled drugs were not handled in accordance with the legislation. Additionally staff had not ensured that they were aware of the identity of their CD (controlled drugs) accountable officer and authorised witnesses. These findings were in breach of the legal requirements.

  Additionally we found that:

• The practice were not ensuring that near misses (identified dispensing errors) in the dispensary were recorded.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 11 January 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 19 August 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also covers additional improvements the provider has made since our last inspection. The provider was now meeting all requirements and is rated as good under the safe domain.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice were now ensuring the proper and safe management of medicines. Refrigerators were being monitored daily and controlled drugs were handled in accordance with the legislation. Dispensary staff were aware of the identity of their CD (controlled drugs) accountable officer. The CD accountable officer informed the practice who the authorised witnesses would be on each occasion that they put in an application to have CDs destroyed.

  Additionally we found that:

• The practice had ensured that near misses in the dispensary were being recorded.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 7 October 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long-term conditions.

• Nursing staff had lead roles in chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.
• Patients with complex health needs were offered one stop appointments so that all of their health needs could be addressed in one appointment.
• Patients would be invited to appointments to be seen jointly by a nurse and a GP.
• Patients at risk of unplanned admissions were invited to be put on the register and received a personalised care plan that was uploaded on to the local ambulance system.
• Patients on the ‘unplanned admissions’ register received contact with the GP within 48 hours of the surgery receiving a discharge letter from hospital in-patient or A&E attendance.
• The percentage of patients with diabetes, on the register, in whom the last blood pressure reading was 140/80 mmHg or less was 88% (clinical commissioning group average (82%), national average (78%).
• Patients with long term conditions would be signposted to and encouraged to engage with local self help groups.
• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.
• All these patients had a named GP and a structured annual review to check their health and medicines needs were being met. For those patients with the most complex needs, the named GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care. Patients with complex conditions would be given personal care plans.

• Multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings were held monthly and included community nurses and advanced nurse practitioners, mental health and palliative care and support nurses and members of the adult social care team.

Updated 7 October 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people.

• There were systems in place to identify and follow up children living in disadvantaged circumstances and who were at risk, for example, children and young people who had a high number of A&E attendances. Immunisation rates were relatively high for all standard childhood immunisations.
• Patients told us that children and young people were treated in an age-appropriate way and were recognised as individuals, and we saw evidence to confirm this.
• Ante natal, post-natal and six week baby checks were available.
• There was a ‘teen scene’ page on the website aimed specifically at teenagers.
• The percentage of women aged 25-64 whose notes record that a cervical screening test has been performed in the preceding five years was 81% (CCG average 84%, national average 82%)
• Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies.
• We saw positive examples of joint working with midwives and health visitors.

Updated 7 October 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people.

• The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population.
• The practice was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs.
• They had a pro-active approach to offering appointments convenient to the elderly. For example they would be offered appointments whilst they were visiting the day centre next door.
• Patients reaching the age of 65, who are not already in ‘at risk’ groups, were invited by letter to attend for a flu and pneumococcal vaccine.

Updated 7 October 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of working-age people (including those recently retired and students).

• The needs of the working age population, those recently retired and students had been identified and the practice had adjusted the services it offered to ensure these were accessible, flexible and offered continuity of care.
• Extended hours appointments were available on alternate Saturday mornings. Appointments were also available until 6.20pm on Mondays and from 8.10am on Tuesdays.
• The practice was proactive in offering online services as well as a full range of health promotion and screening that reflects the needs for this age group.
• Patients not taking up cancer screening invites (breast, cervical and bowel) were contacted by letter encouraging them to attend.
• Health checks were offered by letter to all patients aged between 40-74 years to promote healthier lives. The practice were taking part in the ‘Let’s Get Moving’ campaign to encourage people to become more active.

Updated 7 October 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).

• 100% of patients diagnosed with dementia had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months, which is better than the CCG (82%) and the national (84%) averages.
• The percentage of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses who had a comprehensive, agreed care plan documented in the record, in the preceding 12 months was 94% (CCG average 93%, national average 88%).
• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of patients experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia.
• The practice carried out advance care planning for patients with dementia.
• The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.
• The practice had a system in place to follow up patients who had attended accident and emergency where they may have been experiencing poor mental health.
• Staff had a good understanding of how to support patients with mental health needs and dementia.

Updated 7 October 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.

• The practice held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including those with a learning disability.
• We saw examples where staff members had raised concerns about vulnerable patients and these were discussed at multi-disciplinary team meetings. As a result the concerns were followed up and positive outcomes were achieved for the patients.
• The practice offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.
• The practice regularly worked with other health care professionals in the case management of vulnerable patients.
• The practice informed vulnerable patients about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.
• Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse in vulnerable adults and children. Staff were aware of their responsibilities regarding information sharing, documentation of safeguarding concerns and how to contact relevant agencies in normal working hours and out of hours.