Archived: Spring Hall Medical Practice (Boots Branch)

Updated 4 June 2015

Spring Hall Medical Practice (Boots branch) is registered with CQC to provide primary care services, which includes access to GPs, family planning, surgical procedures, treatment of disease, disorder or injury and diagnostic and screening procedures. The practice is part of Calderdale CCG and responsible for providing primary medical services for approximately 8800 patients under a primary medical services (PMS) contract with NHS England.

The practice is a branch surgery based within Boots in the town centre which has no dedicated parking facilities. It's main surgery is approximately two miles from the centre of Halifax on Spring Hall Lane which has good parking facilities. Both locations were visited as part of this inspection.

The two sites have a single patient list, so patients could be seen at either practice depending on which was more convenient for them. The practice had seven GP partners (two male and five female). The nursing team included two practice nurses and two health care assistants. There was an experienced team of management, administration and reception staff. All clinical and reception staff rotated between the two locations.

The Boots branch was open 8am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 12pm on a Saturday. Spring Hall Lane surgery was open from 8am to 7.15pm on Monday and 8am to 6.30pm Tuesday to Friday. Patients could book appointments in person at both locations or by telephone. Some appointments are pre-bookable and others are bookable on the day. The practice also operates a daily telephone triage system where patients can speak to the duty doctor. Out of hours care is provided by Local Care Direct service.

Updated 4 June 2015

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Spring Hall Medical Centre (Boots branch) on 3 March 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Specifically, we rated the practice as good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well led services. It was also good for providing services for all the population groups

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

• Staff understood and fulfilled their responsibilities to raise concerns and to report incidents and near misses. Information about safety was recorded.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received training appropriate to their roles and any further training needs had been identified and planned
• 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.
• Urgent appointments were usually available on the day they were requested
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs
• There was good medicines management overall
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported by management

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 4 June 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long term conditions. The practice had a GP led approach to long term conditions, supported by the nursing team. There were structured annual reviews in place to check the health and medication needs of patients were being met. Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed. For those patients with the most complex needs, the named GP worked with other professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care. The practice held scheduled clinics, such as diabetic clinics where a podiatrist was also available.

Updated 4 June 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people. There were systems in place to identify and follow up children living in disadvantaged circumstances and who were at risk. Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies. Same day appointments were offered for children 16 years of age and under.

The practice provided sexual health support and contraception, maternity services and childhood immunisations. A text messaging service was used to remind mothers of baby health check and immunisation appointments.

Updated 4 June 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people. Nationally reported data showed outcomes for patients were good for conditions commonly found in older people. The practice was responsive to the needs of older people, offering home visits and longer appointments. The practice used a holistic care approach for all patients aged over 75, where clinicians assessed their health and social care needs. The practice worked closely with other health care professionals and agencies such as the community matron, district nursing team and Staying Well Ageing Better project, which specifically targeted loneliness in the elderly.

Updated 4 June 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of working age people (including those recently retired and students). The practice had extended hours, including pre-bookable early morning appointments. It had a branch in the town centre which also opened Saturday mornings. Patients could attend either practice location to access appointments to meet their specific needs.

Updated 4 June 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health, including people with dementia. The practice offered annual health reviews, longer appointments and home visits as needed. The GPs actively screened patients for dementia and maintained a list of those diagnosed. The practice had a targeted focus on dementia screening and depression assessments and had identified significantly higher numbers than the predicted rate nationally.

There was a system in place to follow up patients who had attended accident and emergency (A&E) when they may have been experiencing poor mental health. Staff were aware of how to care for people with mental health needs and dementia. The practice regularly worked with multidisciplinary teams in the case management of people in this population group.

Updated 4 June 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. The practice held a register of patients living in vulnerable circumstances including those with a learning disability. It had carried out annual health checks and offered longer appointments for people with a learning disability.

The practice worked with multidisciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people, including persons who were of no fixed abode. Staff signposted patients to various support groups and services, such as drug and alcohol services.

Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse in vulnerable adults and children. They were aware of their responsibilities regarding information sharing, documentation of safeguarding concerns and how to contact relevant agencies.