Dr Sally Johnston

Updated 5 April 2017

Dr Sally Johnston provides primary medical services in Timperley, Trafford from Monday to Friday. The surgery is open Monday to Friday 8:00am – 6:30pm.

Appointments with a GP are available daily from 9am to 12noon and 3:30pm to 6pm. Extended hours are available on Tuesday 6:30pm – 8pm.

Timperley is situated within the geographical area of Trafford Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).

The practice has a Primary Medical Services (PMS) contract. The PMS contract is the contract between general practices and NHS England for delivering primary care services to local communities.

Dr Sally Johnston is responsible for providing care to 3400 patients, an increase of approximately 600 patients in the past 12 months following the closure of other practices locally.

The practice consists of two GPs, one full time lead GP (female) and a part time GP (male). The practice also has a part time practice nurse. The practice is supported by a practice manager, receptionists and administrators.

When the practice is closed patients are directed to the out of hours service.

Updated 5 April 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at the practice of Dr Sally Johnston on 3 March 2017. Overall the practice is now rated as good.

The practice had been previously inspected on 20 April 2016. Following that inspection the practice was rated as requires improvement overall, with the following domain ratings:

Safe – inadequate

Effective – Good

Caring – Good

Responsive – Good

Well led – Requires improvement

The practice provided us with an action plan detailing how they were going to make the required improvements.

The inspection on 3 March 2017 was to confirm the required actions had been completed and award a new rating if appropriate.

Following this re-inspection on 3 March 2017, 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, including those relating to recruitment checks.

• 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.

• Data showed patient outcomes were at or above those locally and nationally.
• Feedback from patients about their care was strongly positive.

• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.

• The practice implemented suggestions for improvements and made changes to the way it delivered services as a result of feedback from patients.

• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.

• 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.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 5 April 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.
• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.
• Where appropriate, patients with more than one long-term condition were able to access a joint review to prevent them having to make multiple appointments.
• All these patients had a named GP and a structured annual review to check that their health and medicines needs were being met. For patients with complex needs, a named GP and practice nurse worked with relevant community and healthcare professionals to deliver multidisciplinary support and care. Multidisciplinary meetings were held to review patients’ needs and to avoid hospital admissions.
• Patients with COPD and asthma had self-management plans and those with chronic conditions were provided with care plans.
• Patients who were diagnosed with a long term conditions such as diabetes were directed to a structured education programme.

Updated 5 April 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 average 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. Same day appointments are offered to parents should they be concerned about a child.
• The practice reception area was welcoming to children and included a range of children’s books including “Going To See The Doctor Books”
• We saw good examples of joint working with midwives and health visitors.

Updated 5 April 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.
• The practice provided routine vaccinations for older patients and had a good uptake of seasonal flu vaccination (82%) which was above the national average.
• The practice embraced the Gold Standards Framework for end of life care which included supporting patients’ choice to receive end of life care at home.

Updated 5 April 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.

• Appointments with a GP were available daily from 9am to 12noon and 3:30pm to 6pm. Extended hours were available on Tuesday 6:30pm – 8pm. The practice was proactive in offering online services as well as a full range of health promotion and screening that reflected the needs for this age group.
• The practice participated in a Trafford Council scheme to increase uptake of cervical smears. By identifying patients who were overdue a smear, sending out a letter and then telephoning those who had still not booked in, the practice saw an increased attendance and had a take up rate of 91%.

Updated 5 April 2017

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

• 74% of patients diagnosed with dementia had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months. We noted the practice did not exception report any patients compared to a national average of 7%.
• 100% of patients with poor mental health had a comprehensive care plan documented in the record agreed between individuals, their family and/or carers as appropriate. We noted the practice had exception reported 20% (3 patients) of patients, compared to a national average of 13%.
• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of patients experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia.
• It carried out advance care planning for patients with dementia.
• One GP had a postgraduate diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. They told us they would regularly use the skills learnt with patients with mild/moderate mental health problems such as anxiety and depression. Patients are also offered referral to a wide variety of services where required. The practice also promoted peer reviewed self-help books where appropriate to support patients.
• Staff had a good understanding of how to support people with mental health needs and dementia.

Updated 5 April 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.
• The practice was aware of those patients who required an interpreter and alerts were placed within patients’ notes to enable staff to pre book interpreters and arrange longer appointments.
• The practice was proactive in monitoring those patients identified as vulnerable or at risk. This included, monitoring A&E attendances, monitoring missed appointments from those known to be vulnerable and working with other services to ensure, where appropriate, information was shared to keep patients safe.
• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people.
• The practice had told vulnerable patients 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.