Archived: Bolton Medical Centre

Updated 5 November 2015

Bolton Medical Centre has about 3150 patients registered. It is overseen by NHS Bolton Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The population experiences higher levels of income deprivation affecting children and older people than the practice average across England. There are a lower proportion of patients above 65 years of age (3.7%) than the practice average across England (16.7%). There are a high proportion of patients registered who are from a socially deprived background.

There are four GPs supported by a practice nurse, assistant practitioner and a healthcare assistant. There is also a practice manager, assistant practice manager, and supporting administration and reception team.

The practice delivers commissioned services under the Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) contract.

The practice is open on Monday from 8am to 7pm, Tuesday 8am to 8pm, Wednesday and Friday 8am to 6.30pm, Thursday 7.30am to 6.30pm, and Saturday 9am to 11am.

Appointments are available on Monday from 9am to 12.30pm and 2.30pm to 6.30pm, Tuesday 10am to 12.30pm and 3pm to 5.30pm, Wednesday 9am to 12.30pm and 3pm to 5.30pm, Thursday 9am to 12.30pm and 3pm to 6pm, Friday 10am to 1pm and 3pm to 5.30pm, and Saturday from 9am to 11am.

Patients can book appointments in person or via the phone and online. Emergency appointments are available each day. Bury and Rochdale Doctors (BARDOC) provide urgent out of hours medical care when the practice is closed.

Updated 5 November 2015

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Bolton Medical Centre on 06 October 2015. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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, monitored, appropriately reviewed and addressed.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• 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.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment and that 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. The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.

We saw one area of outstanding practice:

Bolton Medical Centre has access to an on-site gymnasium that offers free membership to any registered patients. We saw evidence that that the use of this facility has improved some registered patients health.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 5 November 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long-term conditions. The GPs had lead roles in chronic disease management supported by the practice nursing staff and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority. Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed. All these patients had a named GP and a structured annual review to check that their health and medication needs were being met. For those people with the most complex needs, the named GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care. The practice participates in the Bolton quality contract which includes best care indicators. These indicators identify the need for enhanced care to ensure that the best patient care and management is available for patients in this population group. This includes more frequent reviews for patients.

Updated 5 November 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, for example, children and young people who had a high number of A&E attendances. Immunisation rates were relatively high for all standard childhood immunisations. Patients told us that children and young people were treated in an age-appropriate way and were recognised as individuals, and we saw evidence to confirm this. Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies. We saw good examples of joint working with midwives and health visitors.

Updated 5 November 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people. Nationally reported data showed that outcomes for patients were good for conditions commonly found in older people. The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population and had a range of enhanced services, for example, in dementia and end of life care. It was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and rapid access appointments for those with enhanced needs.

All patients over 75 years of age have a named accountable GP and are offered a health check. Bolton Medical Centre offers free gym facilities to actively promote and support healthier lifestyles. There are eight patients over the age of 75 who are frequent users of the gym.

Updated 5 November 2015

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. The practice actively promoted access to the service to students and has a leaflet designed to inform students who are registered with the practice of the services available.

The practice offers a health check to all registered patients which includes a cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk assessment for those patients who do not have any existing chronic disease between the ages of 40 – 74 years of age. There are 378 registered patients in this age range with 338 risk assessments completed. Invites are sent out monthly to the remaining patients.

Updated 5 November 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). Patients experiencing poor mental health had received an annual physical health check. The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia. It carried out advance care planning for patients with dementia. The practice currently has 26 patients on the mental health register, and 48% have had a mental health care plan agreed and reviewed. There are plans in place for the remaining patients to be recalled for review before the end of March 2016.

The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various health services, support groups and voluntary organisations. It had a system in place to follow up patients who had attended accident and emergency (A&E) where they may have been experiencing poor mental health. Staff had received training on how to care for people with mental health needs and dementia.

Updated 5 November 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 homeless people and those with a learning disability. It had carried out annual health checks and offered longer appointments for people with a learning disability.

The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people. It had told 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 has a carer’s champion who identifies patients with carer responsibilities and refers them to the local carers centre and relevant community services.