Wolverhampton Doctors Limited Also known as Showell Park Health Centre

Updated 27 March 2017

Wolverhampton Doctors Limited is registered with the Care Quality Commission as a partnership. The total practice patient population is 5,100. The practice is located in an inner city area of Wolverhampton and has good transport links for patients travelling by public transport. Parking is available for patients. The practice is a single storey portable cabin. All areas of the practice are easily accessible by patients with mobility difficulties, patients who use a wheelchair and families with pushchairs or prams.

The practice team consists of three GP partners/Directors (all male) and two salaried GPs one male and one female. The GPs are currently supported by a prescribing pharmacist, a locum practice nurse and a healthcare assistant. Clinical staff are supported by a practice manager, an assistant practice manager and nine reception / administration staff. In total there are 19 staff employed either full or part time hours to meet the needs of patients. The practice is a training practice for GP registrars.

The practice is open Monday, to Friday between 8am and 6.30pm. Extended surgery hours are from 6.30pm to 8pm on Tuesdays. The practice does not provide an out-of-hours service to its patients but has alternative arrangements for patients to be seen when the practice is closed. Patients are directed to the out of hours service Vocare via the NHS 111 service.

The practice has a contract to provide Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) for patients. This allows the practice to have a contract with NHS and other non-NHS health care providers to deliver enhanced and primary medical services to meet the needs of the local community. They provide Directed Enhanced Services, such as the childhood vaccination and immunisation scheme and minor surgery. The practice provides a number of clinics for example long-term condition management including asthma and diabetes.

The practice is located in one of the most deprived areas of Wolverhampton. People living in more deprived areas tend to have a greater need for health services. There is a higher practice value for income deprivation affecting children and older people in comparison to the practice average across England. The level of income deprivation affecting children is 41%, which is higher than the national average of 20%. The level of income deprivation affecting older people is higher than the national average (39% compared to 16%).

Updated 27 March 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Wolverhampton Doctors Limited on 24 November 2016. Overall, the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and report incidents and near misses. However there was not always evidence that changes made were monitored to ensure they were appropriate.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Risks to patients and staff were assessed.
• Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned.
• Patients said it was not always easy to get through to the surgery on the phone. Patients could make an appointment with a GP of their choice and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day
• Feedback from patients was not consistently positive. Patients raised concerns about appointments and attitude of staff. These were also reflected in the national patient survey published in July 2016.
• The practice proactively sought feedback from staff, patients and third party organisations, which it acted on.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management.
• The practice was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the practice should make improvements are:

• Investigate the reasons for lower patient satisfaction in the GP national survey for patient experience of their interaction with staff.
• Investigate the reasons why patients experience difficulty accessing appointments at the practice.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 27 March 2017

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

• The GPs, nurses and healthcare assistants had lead roles in chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.
• The GPs and nurses worked with relevant health care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care to patients with complex needs.
• The practice Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) score for the care of patients with long-term conditions was lower overall compared to the local and national average. For example, the percentage of patients on the diabetes register, in whom a specific blood test to get an overall picture of what a patients average blood sugarlevelshad been over a period of time was 67% compared with the CCG average of 75% and England average of 78%.
• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.

Updated 27 March 2017

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

• Immunisation rates were higher overall 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.
• The practice had access to health visitors to discuss childhood development, immunisations and pre-school checks. Community midwives carried out an antenatal clinic one morning per week to support the care of pregnant women,
• The practice uptake for cervical screening for women between the ages of 25 and 64 years for the 2015/16 QOF year of 69% was lower than the local CCG average of 78% and the England average of 81%..
• Protected daily appointments were available for children of all ages and children aged under the age of one were given priority and seen on the day. Appointments were available outside of school hours and urgent appointments were available for children.

Updated 27 March 2017

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.

• The practice maintained a register of housebound older patients and older patients who required a home visit.
• Older patients were offered urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs.

Updated 27 March 2017

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

• The practice offered on telephone consultations.
• The practice offered extended clinic appointments three days per week for working patients who could not attend during the normal opening hours.
• The practice was proactive in offering online services which included making online prescription and appointment requests.
• Patients were sent telephone texts to remind them about their appointment.
• Patients were signposted to a full range of health promotion and screening that reflects the needs for this age group.

Updated 27 March 2017

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

• Staff had a good understanding of how to support patients with mental health needs and dementia.
• 78% of patients diagnosed with dementia had had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months, which was lower than the national average.
• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of patients experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia.
• The percentage of patients experiencing mental health disorders who had a comprehensive, agreed care plan documented in their records in the preceding 12 months was 95% compared to the local CCG and England average of 89%. The practice clinical exception rate of 15.2% was lower than the local CCG average of 7.6% and England average of 12.7%.
• The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.

Updated 27 March 2017

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

• The practice supported patients who abused substances that could harm their health and wellbeing and provided health, social and professional support.
• The practice held a register of 25 patients with a learning disability and offered this group of patients’ longer appointments.
• The practice was alerted to patients whose circumstances may make them vulnerable or may present a risk to ensure that they were registered with the practice if appropriate.
• The practice had told vulnerable patients about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.
• The practice regularly worked with other health care professionals in the case management of vulnerable patients.