Peaseway Medical Centre

Updated 19 September 2016

Peaseway Medical Centre is located in Newton Aycliffe, Co. Durham. The practice occupies a modern purpose built building. There are 11,359 patients registered with the practice. Parking is available on–site and on roads surrounding the practice. Disabled facilities are provided. There are six GPs working at the practice, five male and one female. Three are three partners and the others are salaried GPs. There are three nurse practitioners who are part-time, six part-time practice nurses and three part-time health care assistants. The office manager, who is full-time, is currently fulfilling the role of practice manager, pending the appointment of a new manager on the 1 August 2016. There is also a team of administrative staff.

The practice is part of NHS Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield Clinical Commissioning Group and provides services under a Personal Medical Services contract with NHS England.

The practice opening times are Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm, and 8am to 7.30pm on a Thursday. The practice also offers an emergency only surgery on Saturday morning from 8am to 12.00pm. The practice appointment times are:

Monday to Friday 8.30am to 11.20am and Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 1.20pm to 5.40pm. Thursday from 4pm to 7.30pm.

Patients requiring a GP outside of normal working hours are advised to call 111 when they would be redirected to the urgent care centre at Bishop Auckland General Hospital.

Updated 19 September 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Peaseway Medical Centre on 20 July 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• 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.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand. However, when we asked why there was no information on display to advise patients how to complain, we were told patients were expected to ask a member of staff. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• 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. This despite the recent departure of the practice manager and a temporary management team of the ex-manager and the office manager being in place. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Arrange to secure the oxygen cylinder in the treatment room.

• Display the complaints procedure in main reception.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 19 September 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.

• Performance for diabetes related indicators was better than the national average. The practice offered insulin initiation services and as part of the Plan for Life project, the practice was keen to support the CCG initiative around the long-term care of patients with diabetes. A GP, who had a diploma in diabetes, had a formal role in supporting the nurses in the management of their diabetic patients,

• 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.

• There was an emphasis on educating and informing patients about how to look after themselves in order to maintain good health. The practice offered a smoking cessation service, due to them having a higher than average number of patients with smoking related illnesses and acupuncture clinics were also available.

• Regular palliative care meetings were held to discuss patients with cancer and long term chronic conditions.

• The practice’s pharmacy advisor was supporting the practice team with discharge medications, medication queries and repeat medication authorisations.

• The practice was also making accommodation available for visiting professionals such as, chronic heart disease, heart failure and mental health. This offered an alternative to hospital based care.

Updated 19 September 2016

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

• Immunisation rates were relatively high for all standard childhood immunisations.

• 80% of patients with asthma, on the practice register, had had an asthma review in the preceding 12 months that included an assessment of asthma control using the 3 routine clinical practice (RCP) questions. This compared to a national average of 75%.
• 82% of women aged 25-64 were recorded as having had a cervical screening test in the preceding 5 years. This compared to a national average of 82%.
• Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies.
• There was a dedicated child and adult safeguarding lead. Safeguarding training had been provided for practice staff.
• Childhood immunisations were undertaken and strongly encouraged by GPs when carrying out six-week checks on babies.
• We saw positive examples of joint working with midwives, health visitors and school nurses.

Updated 19 September 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. A weekly clinic was held specifically for this group of patients. The practice was using telephone consultations effectively. This enabled this group of patients to obtain support and to discuss their current health care needs, without the need to come into the surgery. In addition, the advanced nurse practitioner was offering support to care homes on a daily basis.
• Care plans and health checks were in place, with regular medicine reviews carried out.
• The building was accessible for patients who may have mobility problems.
• Patients with complex needs were discussed at multi-disciplinary team meetings, to ensure their needs were met.
• Referrals to other services were regularly made, for example to the district nursing team or the community matron service.
• The practice identified carers and offered services such as annual health checks and annual flu vaccinations.

Updated 19 September 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.
• 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.
• Practice nurse and health care assistant appointments were available from 8.15am, with a limited number of emergency appointments available on a daily basis.
• Routine GP appointments were available to pre-book from 8.30am.
• NHS health checks were routinely encouraged.
• The practice was open from 8am to 6pm, with telephone lines opening at 8am. This meant patients could collect prescriptions or book appointments during their lunch hour. The practice also stayed open until 7.30pm on a Thursday evening and offered a Saturday morning surgery between 8am and 12.00pm for emergency appointments only.

Updated 19 September 2016

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

• 85% of patients diagnosed with dementia had had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months, which is comparable to the CCG average of 83% and the national average of 84%.

• 90% of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar effective disorder and other psychoses had a comprehensive, agreed care plan documented in their record, in the preceding 12 months. This is comparable with the CCG average of 89% and national average of 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.

• The practice offered accommodation for a counsellor to see referred patients on-site and also participated in a local suicide project.

Updated 19 September 2016

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

• The practice offered 30 minute appointments for patients with a learning disability. The nurse practitioner would carry out reviews at the patient’s home, including a local residential school for autism. GPs would also visit for acute problems.
• 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.
• The practice had looked at its increasing number of patients from the travelling community and had arranged two specific staff training sessions to explore the specific health care needs of this group of patients.