The Derry Court Medical Practice

Updated 9 August 2017

This practice is also known as ‘The Derry Court Medical Practice’. The list size of the practice at the time of our desk top review was 5,500.

• The practice operates from a single location: South Ockendon, Thurrock, RM15 5GN.
• Services provided include: a range of clinics for long term conditions, health promotion and screening, childhood vaccinations and minor surgical procedures.
• There are two male GP partners, two female practice nurses and a female health care assistant (HCA).
• The administration team consists of four females. 
• The practice is open from 8am to 8pm on Monday and 8am to 6.30pm on Tuesday to Friday. The practice operates a triage telephone system between 8am and 11am. Appointments times are from 9am to 1pm and 2pm to 6.15pm daily. Extended hours appointments are available on Mondays 6.30pm to 7.45pm.
• Weekend appointments are available via ‘Thurrock Health Hubs’ a service set up by Thurrock Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). Patients are able to book through the practice to see either a GP or a nurse between 9.15am and 12.30pm at the weekend, at one of four ‘hubs’.
• When the practice is closed patients are advised to call 111 if they require medical assistance and are unable to wait until the surgery reopens. The out of hours service is provided by IC24.
• This practice is a training practice which has GP registrars in their final stage of training. GP registrars are fully qualified and will have had at least three years of hospital experience.
• There are slightly higher than local and national average levels of income deprivation affecting children and older people at this practice.

Updated 9 August 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

On 26 July 2016 we carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr H Okoi Practice. The overall rating for the practice was good with requires improvement for providing safe services. The full comprehensive report for this inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Dr H Okoi Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

We issued the practice with a requirement notice in relation to safe care and treatment. We then carried out a desk-based focused inspection on 13 July 2017 to confirm that the practice were now meeting the legal requirements in relation to the breach of regulation that we identified in our previous inspection on 26 July 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is rated as good, with the ‘Safe’ domain now rated as good.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice provided us with an updated list of all emergency medicines located in a secure area accessible to staff. All relevant medicines required in an emergency were stocked by the practice.

• The practice was driven and had promoted the carers scheme since the last inspection. They had identified 83 patients as a carer which was 1.5% of their patient list compared to 18 patients which amounted to 0.3% in July 2016. The practice had sent letters and displayed information within their waiting area to encourage patients to consider whether they were carers. The practice had a carers champion dedicated to coordinating support and healthcare benefits for registered carers.

• The business continuity plan which was reviewed in December 2016 contained relevant information and contact details needed in an emergency.

• The system for managing patient safety and medicine alerts was effective, appropriate action was taken and recorded. The practice had nominated an individual since the previous inspection to review and check that safety alerts were being appropriately monitored.  

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 12 December 2016

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

• The practice nurse took the lead in reviews and management of patients with long term conditions.
• The practice performance for diabetes indicators was in line with and for some indicators higher than the CCG and national averages. For example, the number of patients who had received a foot examination and risk classification was higher than the CCG and national average.
• If patients required a longer appointment due to complex needs or multiple medical conditions this was available. Housebound patients could also request a home visit.

Updated 12 December 2016

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

• There were systems and processes in place to enable staff to identify and take appropriate action to monitor and safeguard children and young people living in disadvantaged situations. For example, where a child does not attend a booked appointment this was followed up.
• Immunisation rates were in line with CCG and national averages for all standard childhood immunisations.
• Patients told us that children and young people were treated in an age-appropriate way.
• Due to opening hours appointments were available outside of school hours.
• The premises were suitable for children and babies

Updated 12 December 2016

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

• If patients required a longer appointment due to complex needs or multiple medical conditions this was available. Housebound patients could also request a home visit.

• All older patients had a named GP.
• Those patients unable to come to the practice, for example, due to being housebound, were able to access home visits from the GP.
• The practice communicates changes and news by letter and results by telephone to this group of patients, unless they request communication by text message.

Updated 12 December 2016

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

• The practice offered extended hours as well as lunchtime telephone appointments. 
• Prescriptions were sent electronically to the patients preferred chemist.
• The practice offered online appointment booking and prescription requests.
• The percentage of women aged 25-64 who have had a cervical screening test in the past 5 years was in line with the CCG and national average.
• The practice changed to a ‘triage’ appointments system, which had received positive feedback from this patient population group.

Updated 12 December 2016

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

• The percentage of patients diagnosed with dementia who had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months, was comparable to the CCG and national average.
• The practice worked closely with mental health professionals to deliver coordinated care in the community.
• Longer appointments were available for patients experiencing poor mental health.
• The practice sign-posted patients to local voluntary support services.

Updated 9 August 2017

The provider had resolved the concerns for safety identified at our inspection on 26 July 2016 which applied to everyone using this practice, including this population group. The population group ratings have been updated to reflect this.