Background to this inspection
Updated
5 April 2017
The Medical Centre, 846 York Road, Leeds LS14 6DX is a member of the Leeds South and East Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). General Medical Services (GMS) are provided under a contract with NHS England. They also offer a range of enhanced services, which include:
- improving online access for patients
- delivering childhood, influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations
- facilitating timely diagnosis and support for people with dementia
- identification of patients who are at a high risk of an avoidable unplanned hospital admission
The practice is located in a two storey detached dwelling, which had been converted from a house to a medical centre. Patient consulting rooms are on two floors and access is by a stairway. Patients who have difficulty in climbing stairs are seen in a downstairs consulting room. There are limited car parking facilities on site but there is nearby street parking. There is ramp access for wheelchair users. The Medical Centre also has another site at 143 Rookwood Avenue, Leeds LS9 0NL, which is approximately two miles away.
The practice currently has 8,899 patients split evenly over both locations. The Rookwood Avenue site patient population has a higher level of deprivation than those who access the York Road location. The patient population is made up of predominantly British, although a number of patients are from other ethnic origins, such as Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe.
There are six GP partners (three male, three female), four practice nurses, a health care assistant and a phlebotomist. The clinicians are supported by a practice manager, an assistant practice manager and an experienced team of administration and reception staff.
The Medical Centre, 846 York Road, Leeds LS14 6DX is open Monday to Friday 8.15am to 6pm, with the exception of Wednesday when it closes at 12 midday. GP appointments are as follows:
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8.30am to 10.40am, 1pm to 2pm and 3.30pm to 5.40pm
Wednesday 8.30am to 10.40am.
When the practice is closed out-of-hours services are provided by Local Care Direct, which can be accessed via the surgery telephone number or by calling the NHS 111 service.
The practice has good working relationships with local health, social and third sector services to support provision of care for its patients. (The third sector includes a very diverse range of organisations including voluntary, community, tenants’ and residents’ groups.)
The Medical Centre is a teaching and training practice. They are accredited to train qualified doctors to become GPs (registrars) and to support undergraduate medical students with clinical practice and theory teaching sessions.
Updated
5 April 2017
Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice
We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection of The Medical Centre at both locations of York Road and Rookwood Avenue on the 12 and 13 July 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good. However, a breach of legal requirements was found, resulting in a rating of requires improvement for the safe domain. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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 12 HSCA (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 Safe care and treatment.
We undertook this focused inspection on 9 March 2017 to check that they had followed their plan and to confirm that the practice now met the legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to those legal requirements.
Our key findings were as follows:
- The practice had addressed the issues identified during the previous inspection.
- All staff were aware of the systems in place to effectively manage the safe storage of vaccines and the cold chain procedures.
- Patient Specific Directions (PSDs) were in place and used by the health care assistants as appropriate. (PSDs are written instructions for medicines to be administered to a named patient after the prescriber has assessed the patient on an individual basis.)
- The practice could demonstrate what actions they took in respect of national and regional safety alerts.
- The practice had notified the Care Quality Commission of changes in their registration, for example additional GP partners.
Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)
Chief Inspector of General Practice
People with long term conditions
Updated
9 September 2016
The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long term conditions.
- All these patients had a named GP and a structured annual review to check that their health and medicines needs were being met.
- The practice worked closely with the community matron in the management of housebound patients who had complex long term conditions, to ensure they received the care and support they needed.
- The practice participated in the Year of Care programme. This approach supported patients to understand their condition and have a more active part in determining their own care and support needs in partnership with clinicians. It was currently being used with all patients who had diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and ischaemic heart disease (IHD).
- There was a system in place to monitor and review patients who were found to have pre-diabetes.
- Holistic reviews were undertaken to avoid the need for patients to have multiple appointments
- 94% of newly diagnosed diabetic patients had been referred to a structured education programme in the preceding 12 months (CCG average 87%, national average 90%).
- 71% of patients diagnosed with asthma had received an asthma review in the last 12 months (CCG and national averages of 75%).
- 81% of patients diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) had received a review in the last 12 months (CCG average 88%, national average 90%).
Families, children and young people
Updated
9 September 2016
The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people.
- Patients and staff told us children and young people were treated in an age-appropriate way and were recognised as individuals.
- Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies. All children who required an urgent appointment were seen on the same day as requested.
- The practice worked with midwives, health visitors and school nurses to support the needs of this population group. For example, the provision of ante-natal, post-natal and child health surveillance clinics.
- There was a dedicated child immunisation co-ordinator to promote uptake of all standard childhood immunisations.
- Cervical screening, sexual health and contraceptive services were provided at the practice.
- There was a dedicated cervical screening co-ordinator who dealt with the recall and follow up of patients. The latest data showed that 98% of eligible patients had received cervical screening, which was considerably higher than the CCG and national averages of 82%.
- Appointments were available with both male and female GPs.
- Reviews were undertaken of children who failed to attend a practice or hospital appointment and those who attended accident and emergency (A&E).
Updated
9 September 2016
The practice is rated as good for the care of older people.
- The practice provided proactive, responsive and personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population. Home visits and urgent appointments were available for those patients in need.
- All elderly patients had a named GP.
- The practice worked closely with other health and social care professionals, such as the district nursing team, community matron and memory services, to ensure housebound and elderly patients received the care and support they needed.
- Care plans were in place for those patients who were considered to have a high risk of an unplanned hospital admission and patients were reviewed as needed.
- Health checks were offered for all patients over the age of 75 who had not seen a clinician in the previous 12 months.
- Patients were signposted to other services for access to additional support, particularly for those who were isolated or lonely.
Working age people (including those recently retired and students)
Updated
9 September 2016
The practice is rated as good for the care of working age people (including those recently retired and students).
- The needs of these patients had been identified and the practice had adjusted the services it offered to ensure these were accessible, flexible and offered continuity of care.
- There was access to text messaging and online services to request repeat prescriptions and make appointments
- The practice was proactive in offering a full range of health promotion and screening that reflected the needs for this age group. For example, early detection of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (a disease of the lungs) for patients aged 35 and above who were known to be smokers or ex-smokers.
- Health checks were offered to patients aged between 40 and 74 who had not seen a
People experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia)
Updated
9 September 2016
The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia).
- The practice regularly worked with multidisciplinary teams in the case management of people in this population group, for example the local mental health team. Patients and/or their carer were given information on how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations, such as Mindmate and Carers Leeds.
- 91% of patients who had a complex mental health problem, such as schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses, had a comprehensive, agreed care plan documented in their record in the preceding 12 months (CCG and national averages of 88%).
- 92% of patients diagnosed with dementia had received a face to face review of their care in the preceding 12 months (CCG average 88%, national average 84%).
- Staff could demonstrate they had a good understanding of how to support patients with mental health needs or dementia.
- Those patients who had dementia and did not attend an appointment were contacted by the practice.
People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable
Updated
9 September 2016
The practice is rated as good for the care of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.
- Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse in children, young people and adults whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. They 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.
- There was a register of patients who had a safeguarding concern.
- The practice could evidence the number of children who were on a child protection plan (this is a plan which identifies how health and social care professionals will help to keep a child safe).
- Patients who had a learning disability received an annual review of their health needs and a health action plan was put in place. Carers of these patients were also encouraged to attend, were offered a health review and signposted to other services as needed.
- There was an alert on the record of those patients who were known to be vulnerable or have complex needs to identify the need for a longer appointment.