Brinsworth & Whiston Medical Centres

Updated 9 May 2017

Brinsworth Medical Centre is situated in Rotherham in the Brinsworth area. There is a branch surgery at Whiston Medical Centre, Hunger Hill, Whiston, Rotherham, S60 4BD. We visited the branch surgery as part of this inspection. Whiston Medical Centre was previously known as the Surgery of Light and merged with Brinsworth Medical Centre formally in September 2015.

The practice provides Personal Medical Services (PMS) for 9,995 patients across the two sites in the NHS Rotherham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area. The practice is practice population reflects the national average with a slightly higher population of working age males and 64 to 80 year old age group.

There are three GP partners, one female and two male, and a managing partner. There are also three salaried GPs and a GP registrar. There are five practice nurses and three health care assistants who all work across the two sites.

There is a large administration team led by the managing partner, an associate practice manager and associate manager.

The practice is open at the following times:

At Brinsworth the practice is open from 7.15am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday.

GP appointments are available 7.30am to 6.30pm Monday to Friday with the exception of Thursdays when the morning surgery begins at 9am.

Nurse and/or health care assistant (HCA) appointments are available at variable times between 7.30am and 6pm most days Monday to Friday.

At Whiston the practice is open between 7.30am to 6.30pm on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday and 8am to 6.30 pm Monday and Thursday.

GP appointments are available 9.30am to 6.30pm Monday, Thursday and Friday and 9.30am to 4.30pm Tuesday and Wednesday.

Nurses and/or HCA appointments are available 7.30am to 4pm on a Monday and 7.30am to 12.30pm on a Tuesday.

Patients can attend either surgery for an appointment.

Out of hours services are provided by calling the NHS 111 service. NHS Rotherham also provides a Walk-in Centre to deal with minor ailments, illnesses and injuries. It is open from 8am to 9pm every day including Bank Holidays (excluding Christmas Day).

This practice is a GP training practice.

Updated 9 May 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Brinsworth and Whiston Medical Centres on 10 May 2016. The overall rating for the practice was good but with requires improvement for safety. The full comprehensive report for the 10 May 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Brinsworth and Whiston Medical Centres on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 14 March 2017 to confirm that the practice had carried out their plan to meet the legal requirements in relation to the breaches in regulations that we identified in our previous inspection on 10 May 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

Overall the practice is rated as G good.

Improvements had been made since our last inspection on 10 May 2016. Our key findings were as follows:

• A reliable system in place to ensure emergency equipment was in working order had been implemented. The defibrillators were in working order and all the required equipment to ensure they could be used was available.

• Storage arrangements for emergency medicines had been reviewed and improved to ensure timely access in the event of an emergency.

• Procedures for monitoring vaccine fridge temperatures had been improved to take account of the 2014 guidance from Public Health England.

• Recruitment records had been improved and included when Disclosure and Barring Service checks (DBS) were received. Records of interview were maintained.

• Warning signs to indicate where oxygen was stored had been displayed.

• Staff had completed training in vaccinations and immunisation and infection prevention and control.

• Cleaning schedules had been implemented.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 10 May 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.
• Performance for diabetes related indicators was 95%, which was above the CCG average of 83% the national average of 90%.
• 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 10 May 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.
• 79% of patients diagnosed with asthma, on the register, who had an asthma review in the last 12 months which was higher than the CCG and national averages of 73% and 75%.
• 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.
• The practice’s uptake for the cervical screening programme was 82%, which was comparable to the CCG average of 82% and the national average of 81%.
• Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies.
• Congratulations cards were sent to parents of new-borns which gave an appointment for the eight week check and a copy of the immunisation schedule.

Updated 10 May 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.
• A card and flowers was sent to patients on their 100th birthday.

Updated 10 May 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 reflects the needs for this age group.

Updated 10 May 2016

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

• 78% of patients diagnosed with dementia who had had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months, which was comparable to the national average the national average.
• Performance for mental health related indicators was 100%, which was better than the CCG 91% and national average of 93%. However exception reporting in all but one indicator in this area was high. We spoke to the GPs and practice manager about the exception rates and there were a number of issues which had impacted on this data. For example, patients not attending for appointments.
• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people 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.

Updated 10 May 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.
• The practice offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.
• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people.
• 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.