Archived: Dr Dixit's Practice Also known as Dr Dixit & Dr Kolla

Updated 14 January 2016

The area covered by Dr Dixit’s Practice is primarily the postcode areas of NE37 and NE38 although some areas of DH4 (Mount Pleasant and Biddick Woods) and NE9 (Springwell Village) are covered. The practice provides services from one location, The Galleries Health Centre, Washington, Tyne and Wear, NE38 7NQ.

The Galleries Health Centre is a purpose built premises. Dr Dixit’s Practice is one of four practices in the health centre. The facility is part of the Galleries shopping complex and the reception area is shared with the local library on the first floor, there is a ramp for easy access. A lift is available to take patients to street level at the rear of the premises, there are two disabled parking bays shared with the other three practices.

The practice has two GPs partners, both are male. The practice is a training practice and at the time of our inspection there was a female GP registrar working at the practice. There is a practice nurse and one health care assistant. There is a practice manager and six reception and administrative staff.

The practice provides services to approximately 4,900 patients of all ages. The practice is commissioned to provide services within a General Medical Services (GMS) contract with NHS England.

The practice is open between 8.30am and 6pm Monday to Friday.

The service for patients requiring urgent medical attention out of hours is through the NHS 111 service and Primecare (Primary Care Sunderland) Sunderland

Updated 14 January 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced inspection of this practice on 28 April 2015. Breaches of legal requirements were found. After the comprehensive inspection the practice wrote to us to say what they would do to meet the following legal requirements set out in the Health and Social Care Act (HSCA) 2008:

• Regulation 17 HSCA 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 Good governance;

• Regulation 18 HSCA 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 Staffing;

• Regulation 19 HSCA 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 Fit and proper persons employed.

We undertook this focused inspection to check that they had followed their plan and to confirm that they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Dr Dixit's Practice on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice had addressed the issues identified during the previous inspection.

• Significant event and patient safety alerts were managed appropriately and the correct guidelines were followed.

• Systems to manage and monitor the prevention and control of infection were in place and improvements had been made.

• Disclosure and Barring Service checks (DBS) had been completed for all staff.

• Electrical and medical equipment had been checked and was fit for use.

• Arrangements were in place to manage fire safety.

• Staff had received the appropriate training required for their role and an appraisal in the last year.

• There were governance arrangements in place and ongoing improvements were being made.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 14 January 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long-term conditions. There were clinical leads for the management of long term conditions which were shared between the GPs and practice nurse. One of the GPs led on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, (COPD), diabetes and mental health. The other led on palliative care and learning disabilities. There were practice nurse led clinics for COPD and diabetes. There were recall systems in place and patients were offered an annual health check. We saw the practice achieved maximum Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) points available to them for all of the chronic conditions, for example, 100% for COPD which was above the CCG and England averages by 2.9 and 4.8 points. All patients with chronic conditions were offered a pneumococcal and flu vaccine in the last year and the take up rate was 76.9%.

Updated 14 January 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people. The practice offered child health clinics for children under the age of five in conjunction with the health visitor, practice nurse and a GP; immunisations were available for all children. There were also antenatal clinics. Last year’s performance for immunisations was above the averages for the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). For example, infant meningococcal C (Men C) vaccination rates for two year old children were 97.3% compared to 97.2% across the CCG; and for five year old children were 100% compared to 97.9% across the CCG.

The practice had recently participated in ‘Dr Spike’s Fun Day’, a health awareness promotion day for parents of young children which was held at the local Surestart Centre (centres which provide access to a range of early childhood services). The GP registrar and two reception staff took part in this day. Feedback was taken from the parents and the practice assisted in designing a leaflet for parents on services available to them from primary and secondary care.

Updated 14 January 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people. All patients over the age of 75 had a named GP and were invited to the practice for an over 75 health check. Patients over the age of 65 were offered the pneumococcal and flu vaccine and attendance rates for this in the last season were 94%. The health care assistant and practice nurse carried out home visits to patients who were unable to attend the surgery during the winter flu vaccine season and were able to administer the vaccine if appropriate and carryout a health check. The practice had a palliative care register and had monthly multidisciplinary meetings to discuss patients and their families’ care and support needs.

Updated 14 January 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 (including those recently retired and students) had been identified and the practice had adjusted the services they offered to ensure these were accessible, flexible and offered continuity of care. The practice found telephone consultations worked very well for the working age population. There was on-line access available to book appointments and order repeat prescriptions. There was a text and reminder messaging service. Patients over the age of 45 were offered a blood pressure monitoring check, the target of 92% was achieved.

Updated 14 January 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). There was a register for those experiencing poor mental health. Referrals for support were available with MIND and other services who could offer support.

If dementia was suspected referrals were made to the local memory clinic. Staff at the practice had received dementia friends training and a member of staff had been identified as a dementia champion and was to receive training for this.

Updated 14 January 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. The practice worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people. The practice had sign-posted vulnerable patients to various support groups and organisations. Staff we spoke with knew how to recognise signs of abuse in vulnerable adults and children. The practice maintained a register for patients with a learning disability; there were 17 patients on the register of which 82% (14) had received an annual health check. The practice had joint working with services for patients with drug and alcohol addiction. They also signposted patients to support organisations such as Turning Point. The practice’s computer system alerted GPs if a patient was also a carer. We were shown the written information available for carers to ensure they understood the various avenues of support available to them.