West Common Lane Teaching Practice

Updated 4 February 2016

West Common Lane Teaching Practice is situated in Scunthorpe and provides service under a personal medical services (PMS) contract NHS England, North Lincolnshire to the practice population of 7900, covering patients of all ages and population groups. The practice also operates a branch surgery also practicing in Scunthorpe.

The practice has four GP partners and one salaried GP. There is a practice manager and assistant practice manager supported by a team of reception and administration staff, one nurse practitioner, two practice nurses and two health care assistant.

The practice is a teaching and training practice taking year 3 medical students.

The practice was open between 08.15 and 18.00 Monday to Friday. Appointments were from 08.30 to 12.30 every morning and 13.30 to 18.00 daily. In addition, appointments were also available with nurse practitioners and practice nurses throughout the week.

Appointments can be booked up to a month in advance or for more urgent issues on the day.

When the practice is closed patients are to telephone 111.

Updated 4 February 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at West Common Lane Teaching Practice on 4 November 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, with the exception of 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.

• 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.
• 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 two area of outstanding practice:

A respiratory nurse undertook a local initiative COPD Breathless Manual training and now helps to identify patients that can be offered the manual as part of their treatment plan. This was a 5 week self-management booklet for patients to complete with guidance from the respiratory nurse.

The diabetic specialist practice nurse worked alongside the lead GP and advanced nurse practitioner to help manage patients with diabetes. They had undertaken the Insulin Conversion Training and offered this service to the appropriate patients. When a patient commenced on insulin the nurse regularly contacted them over a weekend to ensure they were coping with the change and would if necessary, arrange to visit them at home.

However there were areas of practice where the provider needs to make improvements.

Importantly the provider should:

• Ensure recruitment arrangements include all necessary employment checks for all staff.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 4 February 2016

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.

• All these patients had a named GP and a structured annual review to check that their health and medicines 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.

• A respiratory nurse undertook a local initiative COPD Breathless Manual training and now helps to identify patients that can be offered the manual as part of their treatment plan. This was a 5 week self-management booklet for patients to complete with guidance from the respiratory nurse.

• The diabetic specialist practice nurse worked alongside the lead GP and advanced nurse practitioner to help manage patients with diabetes.They had undertaken the Insulin Conversion Training and offered this service to the appropriate patients.When a patient commenced on insulin the nurse regularly contacted them over a weekend to ensure they were coping with the change and would if necessary, arrange to visit them at home.

Updated 4 February 2016

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, health visitors and school nurses.

Updated 4 February 2016

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.

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

Updated 4 February 2016

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. 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.

Updated 4 February 2016

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

• 82.9% of people diagnosed with dementia had had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months.

• There was a longstanding and comprehensive frailty screening/assessment process.

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

• They carried out advance care planning for patients with dementia.

• The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.

• It 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 people with mental health needs and dementia.

Updated 4 February 2016

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.

• They offered longer appointments for people with a learning disability.

• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people.

• They 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.

• Signposting for bereavement services (CRUSE mainly). Practice contacts all those bereaved upon notice of a death with a sympathy card and open invitation for consulting then a visit if requested.