Teams Medical Practice

Updated 1 March 2019

Teams Medical Practice provides care and treatment to approximately 5,500 patients of all ages from the NE8 and NE11 areas of Gateshead, Tyne and Wear (areas north of Ravensworth Castle). The practice is part of NHS Newcastle Gateshead Clinical Commissioning Group and operates on a General Medical Services (GMS) contract.

The practice provides services from the following address, which we visited during this inspection:

Teams Medical Practice

Watson Street

Gateshead

Tyne and Wear

NE8 2PX

The practice is located in purpose built two storey premises. All consultation rooms are on the ground floor and there is good access for patients with mobility issues. A car park is available as well as nearby on street parking.

Patients can book appointments in person, on-line or by telephone. Opening hours are as follows:

Monday – 7.30am to 1pm and 2pm to 6pm

Tuesday – 7.30am to 6pm

Wednesday to Friday – 8am to 6pm

Appointments start when the practice opens, and the last appointment is 5.30pm.

Patients registered with the practice are also able to access extended hours appointments with a GP from 8am to 8pm on a Monday to Friday and from 9am to 2pm on a weekend and bank holidays at one of two local extended access facilities (Extra Care Blaydon and Extra Care Central Gateshead).

The service for patients requiring urgent medical attention out of hours is provided by the NHS 111 service and GatDoc.

The practice has:

• 4 GP partners (two male and two female)
• A nurse practitioner (female)
• A practice nurse (female)
• A healthcare assistant and assistant healthcare assistant (female)
• 10 non-clinical staff members including a practice manager partner, assistant practice manager, team lead, IT lead, receptionists, practice team leader, officer manager, admin team leader, administrators and receptionists.

The practice is a teaching and training practice to registrars, 3rd-5th year medical students and physician assistants. It is also registered with the Royal College of General Practitioners as a ‘research ready’ practice. As a result, patients registered with the practice are able to participate and benefit from involvement in research programmes should it be appropriate, and they wish to do so.

The average life expectancy for the male practice population is 75 (CCG average 77 and national average 79) and for the female population 80 (CCG average 82 and national average 83). 12% of the practices’ patient population are in the over 65 age group.

At 54%, the percentage of the practice population reported as having a long-standing health condition was comparable with the national average of 54%. Generally, a higher percentage of patients with a long-standing health condition can lead to an increased demand for GP services.

At 62% the percentage of the practice population recorded as being in paid work or full-time education was comparable with the national average of 62%. The practice area is in the second most deprived decile. Deprivation levels affecting children and adults were higher than local and national averages.

Updated 1 March 2019

Previous inspection January 2015 – rated at outstanding overall (outstanding for the provision of safe, effective, caring and well-led services; good for the provision of responsive services).

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Teams Medical Practice on 17 December 2018 as part of our inspection programme.

We based our judgement of the quality of care at this service is on a combination of:

• what we found when we inspected
• information from our ongoing monitoring of data about services and
• information from the provider, patients, the public and other organisations.

We have rated this practice as outstanding overall.

We rated the practice as outstanding for effective services because:

• Quality Outcome Framework (QOF) attainment rates were higher than local and national averages. Although some clinical exception reporting was also higher than local and national averages the practice were doing all they could to encourage patients to attend long term condition reviews.
• The provider had also introduced the Year of Care approach to caring for and reviewing patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, inflammatory arthropathies, fibromyalgia, connective tissue disorders and gout as well as coeliac disease and on-diabetic hyperglycaemia.
• Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs
• The practice offered e-consultations.

We rated the practice as outstanding for caring services because:

• Feedback from patients was consistently positive and was higher than local and national averages.
• There was a strong person-centred culture.
• The practice placed a significant importance on community engagement and collaborative working to make the area a better place to live for local residents.
• Then practice website was easy to navigate and online services easy to use.

We rated the practice as outstanding for providing responsive services because:

• Services were tailored to meet the needs of individual patients. They were delivered in a flexible way that ensured choice and continuity of care.
• There were innovative approaches to providing integrated person-centred care.
• The practice had identified areas where there were gaps in provision locally and had taken steps to address them. For example, the practice had a fibro scanner and were able to screen patients for fatty liver of those at high risk of cirrhosis

We rated the practice as outstanding for providing well-led services because:

• The culture of the practice and the way it was led and managed drove the delivery and improvement of sustained high-quality, person-centred care.

These outstanding areas benefitted all population groups which has resulted in all population groups being rated as outstanding. .

We also rated the practice as good for providing safe services because:

• The practice provided care in a way that kept patients safe and protected them from avoidable harm.
• Patients received effective care and treatment that met their needs.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice including:

• The practice had established excellent links with the local community and strove to promote health and wellbeing within the local area
• The practice was involved in developing a foodbank in the local community centre. In addition, practice staff were collecting and distribute sanitary products to women unable to afford these products as part of a period poverty project.
• The practice had a fibro scanner and were able to screen patients for fatty liver of those at high risk of cirrhosis
• The practice had recruited practice health champions who were actively involved in the running of the practice and in promoting health and wellbeing initiatives including a weekly well-established walking group.

Details of our findings and the evidence supporting our ratings are set out in the evidence tables.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 1 March 2019

Updated 1 March 2019

Updated 1 March 2019

Updated 1 March 2019

Updated 1 March 2019

Updated 1 March 2019