Archived: Brierley Medical Centre

Updated 2 August 2018

Brierley Medical Centre is located at Church Drive, Brierley, Barnsley, S72 9HZ. The practice provides medical services for 2,959 patients under the terms of the alternative provider medical services contract in the NHS Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area.

The service is provided by Barnsley Healthcare Federation CIC (Community Interest Company) who have four GP practice locations, two extended hours' centres' and an    out -of -hours services registered with the Care Quality Commission.

The provider's head office is based at Oaks Park Primary Care Centre in Barnsley. Staffing and governance systems are centrally operated from head office and cascaded to the individual locations. Staff at Brierley Medical Centre had access and support from the senior management team at the head office.

Public Health England data shows the practice population for Brierley Medical Centre is similar to others in the CCG area with a comparable number of patients aged over 50 years old compared to the England average. The practice catchment area has been identified as one of the most deprived areas nationally.

Allocated to Brierley Medical Centre are two female salaried GPs, two female practice nurses, one female healthcare assistant, one male physician associate (physician associates support doctors in the diagnosis and management of patients. They are trained to perform a number of roles including: taking medical histories, performing examinations, analysing test results, and diagnosing illnesses under the direct supervision of a doctor) and an experienced team of reception and administration staff. The practice offers a range of enhanced services such as childhood vaccination and immunisations.

The practice website is www.brierleymc.nhs.uk 

The practice is open 8am to 6.00pm Monday to Friday.

When the practice is closed or patients are unable to access an appointment, staff refer patients to the i-heart Barnsley 365. This service is open from 6pm to 10pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays. This service offers urgent and routine appointments, telephone and email consultations with a nurse or GP.

During the out of hour’s period patients call the NHS 111, who direct them to the most appropriate service.

Updated 2 August 2018

This practice is rated as Requires Improvement

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Requires improvement

Are services effective? – Requires improvement

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Requires improvement

Are services well-led? - Requires improvement

As part of our inspection process, we also look at the quality of care for specific population groups. The population groups are rated as:

Older People – Requires Improvement

People with long-term conditions – Requires Improvement

Families, children and young people – Requires Improvement

Working age people (including those retired and students – Requires Improvement

People whose circumstances may make them vulnerable – Requires Improvement

People experiencing poor mental health (including people living with dementia) - Requires Improvement

We carried out an announced inspection at Brierley Medical Centre on 20 February 2018 as part of our inspection programme. We also carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Barnsley Healthcare Federation CIC head office based at Oaks Park Primary  Care Centre on 13 and 14 February 2018 to look at governance as part of our inspection programme.

At this inspection we found:

• There was no open and transparent approach to safety and no effective system in place for recording, reporting and learning from significant events.
• The practice did not routinely review the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided. There was limited evidence of audits and quality improvement activities to demonstrate monitoring and assessment of the service was being undertaken since the service registered in January 2016.
• There was a system in place for disseminating NICE guidance. We saw that clinicians assessed needs and delivered care and treatment in line with current legislation, standards and guidance supported by clear clinical pathways and protocols.
• Staff involved and treated patients with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect.
• Patients told us through CQC questionnaires, that they felt listened to and supported by staff and had sufficient time during consultations to make an informed decision about the choice of treatment available to them.
• There was a lack of overarching governance arrangements in place that meant patients were not kept safe from avoidable harm.
• There was a leadership structure but communication between staff and management was limited and some staff felt unsupported by the senior management team.

The areas where the provider must make improvements as they are in breach of regulations are:

• Ensure care and treatment is provided in a safe way to patients.
• Ensure governance arrangements are in place to keep patients safe from avoidable harm.
• Ensure that there is an accessible system for identifying, handling. Investigating and responding to complaints made about the service.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Review the chaperone policy is clearly advertised through patient information leaflets, websites (where available) and on notice boards.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 2 August 2018

Updated 2 August 2018

Updated 2 August 2018

Updated 2 August 2018

Updated 2 August 2018

Updated 2 August 2018