West Heath Primary Care Centre

Updated 10 March 2017

West Heath Primary Care Centre is registered with CQC as a partnership provider operating out of a new purpose built premises in Kings Norton area of Birmingham. Car parking, (including disabled parking) is available at this practice.

The practice holds a General Medical Services contract with NHS England.

The practice is part of the NHS Birmingham South and Central Clinical Commissioning Group.

The practice area is one of less deprivation when compared with the local average but higher than the national average. The practice has a higher than average rate of male patients aged 25 to 29 and 45 to 74 compared with the national averages. The rate of female patients aged from birth to 24 years is higher than the national average.

At the time of our inspection the practice had 3054 registered patients.

The practice staffing comprises of:

• Two GP partners

• One locum GP

• One practice nurse

• A practice manager who oversees the operational delivery of services supported by an assistant practice manager and a team of administrative staff.

The practice is open between 8.30am and 12.30pm Monday to Friday morning. The practice is open between 2.00pm and 7.10pm on Monday and Thursday afternoon and between 2.00pm and 6.30pm on Tuesday and Friday afternoon. The practice is closed on a Wednesday afternoon. Extended hours appointments are offered between 6.30pm and 7.10pm on Monday and Thursday evenings.

Updated 10 March 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at West Heath Primary Care Centre on 28 November 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, although the scope for recording could be expanded.
• 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. 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. 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 improvements are:

The provider should:

• Consider expanding the scope of significant event reporting to include clinical events such as unexpected cancer diagnosis, emergencies and positive feedback about the service.

• The practice should ensure that the strength of methotrexate prescribed is in line with the guidelines of the British National Formula, for example only 2.5.mg strength to be prescribed and not a mixture of 10mg and 2.5mg.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 10 March 2017

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long-term conditions.

• There were dedicated GPs identified as clinical leads for all chronic disease conditions, which helped with continuity of care. Patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.

• The percentage of patients with diabetes, on the register, who had had an influenza immunisation was 99%, this was higher than the CCG average of 96% and the national average of 95%.

• The percentage of patients with diabetes, on the register, in whom the last blood pressure reading in the last 12 months was 140/80 mmHg or less was 91%. This was higher than the CCG and the national average of 78%.

• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed. Same day appointments were offered to patients in this group, particularly those with acute conditions.

• 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.

• The practice nurse offered health promotion advice and review of self-management plans during their annual reviews.

Updated 10 March 2017

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.

• Appointments were available outside of school hours and unwell children and pregnant women were offered same day emergency appointments if needed.

• The premises were suitable for children and babies. Breast feeding and baby changing facilities were provided.

• We saw positive examples of joint working with midwives and health visitors. Midwives offered a weekly in-house antenatal clinic.

Updated 10 March 2017

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.

• Same day telephone appointments were offered for this group of patients where appropriate.

• The practice offered dedicated appointment slots with each doctor for patients aged 75 and over.

• Patients were invited to attend the surgery for vaccines to prevent illnesses such asflu.

Updated 10 March 2017

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.

• Evening appointments were available in the late evening surgery on Mondays and Thursdays with a GP and Practice Nurse.
• All patients received text message reminders for their appointments.
• The practice offered triage calls over the telephone.
• New patient Health Check and NHS health checks were offered.

Updated 10 March 2017

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

• The percentage of patients diagnosed with dementia whose care had been reviewed in a face-to-face review in the last 12 months was 92%, which was higher than the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) average of 86% and the national average of 85%.

• The percentage of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses who had a comprehensive, agreed care plan documented in their record, in the last 12 months was 94% compared with the CCG average of 93% and the national average of 89%.

• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of patients experiencing poor mental health, including those 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.

Updated 10 March 2017

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 patients with a learning disability.

• Alerts had been added to patients’ records, highlighting the need for double appointments with a GP where appropriate. For example patients with learning disabilities and communication difficulties and/or patients that needed an interpreter.

• 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.