Newlands Medical Practice

Updated 14 October 2016

Newlands Medical Practice is situated close to the centre of Middlesbrough. Parking is available and the practice is close to a full range of amenities and public transport.

The practice provides services under a General Medical Services (GMS) contract with the NHS England Durham, Darlington and Tees Area Team to the practice population of 10,751 covering patients of all ages.

There are six General Practitioners (GPs) partners, one male and five female and three GP registrars. They are supported by a practice manager, reception and administration staff, one nurse practitioner who is able to prescribe, two practice nurses, one healthcare assistant and a practice counsellor.

The practice is a training practice for GP registrars and student nurses. They also provide mentorship for medical students.

The practice is open between 7.30am and 5.45pm Monday to Friday. There are a range of appointments available during these hours.

The practice, along with all other practices in the local CCG area have a contractual agreement for Northern Doctors Urgent Care (NDUC) to provide OOHs services from 6.00pm. This has been agreed with the NHS England area team.

The practice has opted out of providing out of hours services (OOHs) for their patients. When the practice is closed patients use the 111 service to contact the OOHs provider. The Out of Hours service is provided by Northern Doctors Urgent Care. Information for patients requiring urgent medical attention out of hours is available in the waiting area, in the practice information leaflet and on the practice website.

Updated 14 October 2016

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Newland Medical Practice on 14 April 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Staff assessed patients’ needs and delivered care in line with current evidence based guidance. Staff had been trained to provide them with the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• 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.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the duty of candour.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

Where vaccination fridges are not electrically hard wired there should be a notice/sticker to tell staff not to turn them off.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 14 October 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.

• The percentage of patients with diabetes, on the register, in whom the last IFCCHbA1c (blood test to check for any potential risks) was 64 mmol/mol or less in the preceding 12 months (01/04/2016) was 78%, this was comparable to the national percentage of 77%.

• 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 14 October 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.

• Nationally reported d

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

• We saw positive examples of joint working with midwives, health visitors and school nurses.

Updated 14 October 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.

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

• The practice allocated GP’s to provide appropriate care to patients who live in local care homes with a diagnosis of dementia who are over 75 years old.

Updated 14 October 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 and 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 reflected the needs for this age group.

Updated 14 October 2016

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

• Nationally reported data from 2014/2015 showed 80% of patients diagnosed with dementia had had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months; this was slightly below the national average of 84%.

• Nationally reported data from 2014/2015 showed 100% of patients diagnosed with mental health problems had had an agreed care plan documented in the preceding 12 months; this was above the national average of 90%.

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

• The practice carried out advance care planning for patients with dementia.

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

• The practice 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 patients with mental health needs and dementia.

The practice has an appointed a care coordinator for all patients with learning disabilities so they have a named contact. Patients on the register have their records flagged at every entry so reception and administration staff can encourage them to attend for health check.

Updated 14 October 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 homeless people and those with a learning disability.

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

• The practice regularly worked with other health care professionals in the case management of vulnerable patients.

• The practice informed 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.