New Street Surgery

Updated 22 November 2017

Ms Christine Scully also known as New Street Surgery is located in Sandwell in the West Midlands. It is approximately five miles northwest of Birmingham. There is access to the practice by public transport from surrounding areas. There are parking facilities on site.

The practice currently has a list size of approximately 3100 patients. The practice holds a Personal Medical Services (PMS) contract which is a locally agreed contract between NHS England and a GP to deliver care to the public. The practice provides GP services commissioned by NHS Sandwell and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). A CCG is an organisation that brings together local GPs and experienced health professionals to take on commissioning responsibilities for local health services.

The practice is currently managed by a business manager. The practice has four regular sessional GP locums (2 female, 2 male). The GP locums are supported by two female practice nurses and a female health care assistant. The practice also employs a team of reception, clerical and administrative staff and a cleaner.

The practice is open on Mondays to Fridays from 8am to 6.30pm an. Appointments are available Monday to Thursday 9.30am to 12.30pm and 3pm to 5.30pm. Fridays 9.30am to 1pm, 3pm to 5.30pm.The practice takes part in hub working arrangements where appoints are available at another site 6.30pm to 8pm Monday to Friday. Saturday appointments were available from 9am to 11.30am and Sunday from 10am to 12.30pm.

Outside of this cover, out of hours service is provided by Primecare. Patients can also contact NHS 111.

Updated 22 November 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Ms Christine Scully also known as New Street Surgery on 1 November 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good. However, we rated the practice requires improvement for providing safe care (one of the five questions we ask practice). The full comprehensive report on the November 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for New Street Surgery on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 1 November 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 1 November 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is now rated as good.

• The practice had made arrangements to keep a medicine recommended for use if a patient presented with suspected bacterial meningitis.

• The practice had a system in place to monitor the temperature of the medicines fridge.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 27 February 2017

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

• Nursing staff had lead roles in chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.

• National data showed the practice was performing above the local CCG average for its achievement within 11 diabetes indicators. The practice achieved 100% of the available QOF points compared with the CCG average of 88% and national average of 90%.

• Data also showed that 100% of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) had received a confirmed diagnosis. This was above the CCG and national average of 89%. Exception reporting was 7.7% which was lower than CCG average of 10.3% and national average of 9.2%.

• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.

• 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.

Updated 27 February 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 for all standard childhood immunisations ranged from 86% to 100%. This was comparable to CCG averages which ranged from 87% to 95%. The practice provided a weekly immunisations clinic.

• The practice provided an in-house weekly midwife clinic with midwifery staff attending from a local Trust. A female GP was also available to see patients.

• Our discussions held with staff showed that children and young people were treated in an age-appropriate way and were recognised as individuals. We saw evidence to confirm this.

• Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies.

Updated 27 February 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 signed up to an initiative to reduce unplanned hospital admissions and all patients had been allocated a named GP.

• The practice had patients residing in two nursing homes. A care home manager we spoke with praised the practice for their effectiveness and responsiveness in providing care for these patients. The practice undertook medicine review visits and provided the flu vaccination to these patients.

• The practice was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs.

• National data showed the practice was performing above the local CCG and national averages for its achievement within stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA) related indicators. Data showed that 89% of patients with a history of stroke or TIA had received a blood pressure reading within the previous 12 months. The CCG average was 87% and national average was 88%.

Updated 27 February 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 operated a Saturday morning clinic to benefit those patients who could not attend the practice in usual working hours.

• Telephone consultations were available to those patients who requested them.

• 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.

• 81% of women aged over 25 but under 65 had received a cervical screening test in the previous five years. The practice was performing above the CCG average of 79% and was the same as the national average.

Updated 27 February 2017

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

• 91% of patients with a mental health condition had a documented care plan in place in the previous 12 months. This was the same as the CCG average and above the national average of 89%.

• 87% of patients diagnosed with dementia had had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months. This was above the CCG and national averages of 84%.

• 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 a number of patients with dementia living in residential home. Practice GPs undertook regular visits and reviews of these patients.

• The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations. In addition, referrals were made to appropriate specialist services for complex cases.

Updated 27 February 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 those with a learning disability. There were 19 patients on the learning disability register. We were informed that all of these patients had been invited to attend for an annual review and 12 had attended.

• The practice offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.

• The practice informed vulnerable patients about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations. The practice also referred patients who would benefit to an in-house counselling service.

• 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’s computer system alerted GPs if a patient was also a carer.The practice had identified 87 patients as carers (2.8% of the practice list).

• The practice had participated in the Identification and Referral to Improve Safety (IRIS) pilot, where clinical and non-clinical staff had been given specialist training in domestic violence and abuse.