Ancora Medical Practice

Updated 5 November 2015

Ancora Medical Practice provides General Medical Services to approximately 17,690 patients living in Scunthorpe and surrounding villages, including Messingham, Appleby and Scotter. Services are provided from the main surgery at Ashby Road, Scunthorpe and also from a smaller branch surgery at Detuyll Street, Scunthorpe. We inspected both locations as part of the process. GPs work across both sites and patients can choose to attend at any surgery, with services, such as chronic disease clinics being provided at both surgeries.

There are eight GP partners and two salaried GPs. Four of the GPs are female and six male which ensures that patients can be seen by a male or female GP as they choose. There is a nurse practitioner, three practice nurses and seven healthcare assistants. They are supported by a team of management, reception and administrative staff. The practice also has a team of five cleaning staff. The practice is accredited as a training practice and supports GP registrars and medical students. The practice also provides training to eight other practices in the area as part of Lindsey Health.

The practice is in a comparatively deprived area and has a higher than average number of patients with health related problems in daily life and patients in receipt of Disability Allowance.

The practice is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to provide the regulated activities of diagnostic and screening procedures; family planning; surgical procedures, and treatment of disease, disorder and injury.

The practice is open 8.00am to 6.30pm Monday and Friday with extended hours on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday From 6.30pm until 8.00pm. Out of Hours services are provided through Core Care, which patients’ access via the 111 service.

The practice also offers a wide range of enhanced services including extended hours, learning disabilities, minor surgery and timely diagnosis and support for people with dementia.

Updated 5 November 2015

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Ancora Medical Practice on 30 July 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.
• There were systems in place to reduce risks to patient safety for example, infection control procedures.
• 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.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that 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 November 2015

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 medication 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. The practice also identified patients who had had an unplanned admission and worked with other agencies to review care and support to minimise further admissions.

Updated 5 November 2015

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. Immunisation rates were good 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. 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. The practice sent out congratulation cards on the birth of a new baby and invited mother and baby in for a one stop appointment for a post-natal check-up for the mother and the eight week baby check and first vaccinations.

Updated 5 November 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people. Nationally reported data showed that outcomes for patients were good for conditions commonly found in older people. The practice offered proactive, personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population and had a range of enhanced services including for dementia. It was responsive to the needs of older people and had developed the “Green Book” which provided advice and support for older patients. The practice offered home visits and usual doctor appointments to improve continuity of care.

The practice had regular contact with community nurses and participated in meetings with other healthcare professionals to discuss any concerns.

Updated 5 November 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of working-age people (including those recently retired and students). The needs of this population group had been identified and the practice had adjusted the services it offered to ensure these were accessible, flexible and offered continuity of care. For example, the practice offered later opening times on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings until 8.00pm for those people who could not attend during normal opening hours. 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 5 November 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). Patients experiencing poor mental health received an annual physical health check. The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia. It carried out advance care planning for patients with dementia and had incorporated into the “Green Book” information on family and life history, what worried people and how they took medication amongst other information.

Staff had received training on how to care for people with mental health needs and dementia and had named clinicians who dealt with reviews of patients with dementia or other mental health problems.

Updated 5 November 2015

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 and carried out annual health checks for people in this group. It provided easy read booklets on health advice, such as screening for bowel cancer. Longer appointments were available for people with a learning disability.

The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people. For example it worked with the Active Recovery (substance misuse) group to support patients dealing with substance misuse.

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.