Hedgemans Medical Centre

Background to this inspection

Updated 19 July 2019

Hedgemans Medical Centre is located in Dagenham in a converted detached house, providing GP services to approximately 5,800 patients. The practice provides services under a General Medical Services (GMS) contract with NHS England London and the practice is part of the Barking and Dagenham Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The practice is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to provide the regulated activities of maternity and midwifery services, treatment of disease, disorder or injury and diagnostic and screening procedures from one location.

The practice is a two GP partnership (one male and one female). The practice employs two female locum GPs who provide five weekly GP sessions. A total of 22 GP sessions are provided between Monday to Friday. The practice employs two full time practice nurses, one practice manager, one assistant practice manager and various administrative and reception staff.

The practice was open between 8.30am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday, with the exception of Thursdays when the practice closed at 1.30pm. Appointments were from 9am to 1pm every morning and from 3.30pm to 6.30pm daily. Extended hours appointments were offered from 6.30pm to 7pm on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Telephone lines at the practice were open between 8.30am and 12.30pm in the morning and between 2pm and 6.30pm on Monday to Friday with the exception of Thursday when the telephone lines closed at 1.30pm. Out of Hours services are provided by the local GP Hub and 111 services. In addition to pre-bookable appointments that could be booked up to 13 weeks in advance, urgent appointments were also available for people that needed them. Telephone consultations are offered daily. The practice does not have a website, however patients can book appointments and request repeat prescriptions online; data submitted to the CCG local incentive scheme showed the practice had a higher than average uptake rate for online booking at 17%.

Information taken from Public Health England, shows that the population distribution of the practice is similar to that of the CCG and national average. Life expectancy for males in the practice is 76 years, which is lower than the CCG of 77 years and national average of 79 years. The female life expectancy in the practice is 81 years, which is the same as the CCG average and lower than the national average of 83 years. Information published by Public Health England rates the level of deprivation within the practice population group as two on a scale of one to 10. Level one represents the highest levels of deprivation and level 10 the lowest.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 19 July 2019

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Hedgemans Medical Centre Practice on 4 August 2016. The overall rating for the practice was requires improvement. The full comprehensive report on the August 2016 inspection can be found by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Hedgemans Medical Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

This inspection was an announced focused inspection carried out on 11 September 2017 to confirm 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 4 August 2016. This report covers our findings in relation to those requirements and also additional improvements made since our last inspection.

At the previous inspection we rated the practice as requires improvements for caring and being well-led as the registered person did not always ensure the privacy of patients. They also failed to implement actions identified in the health and safety risk assessment to improve the quality and safety of services in the recommended time.

At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the practice is now rated as good overall and the provision of caring and well-led services are now also rated good.

Our key findings were as follows:

The practice now had systems in place to monitor repeat prescriptions, however this needed improvement. We found uncollected prescriptions were not dealt with according to the practice’s repeat prescribing policy. Following the inspection, the practice provided us with a copy of the “prescription destruction log” as well as the uncollected prescription policy.
We reviewed two different risk assessments to check the provider was implementing identified actions. All actions highlighted in both audits had been completed on or before the recommended time.
We saw certificates which confirmed staff had received training in information governance.
Verbal complaints were now investigated and followed up with patients. We reviewed minutes of staff meeting and found complaints were discussed and shared with all staff.
A hearing loop had been installed for those who had difficulty hearing.
Actions were taken to improve patient confidentiality.
There was now a notice in the reception area which informed patients of the translation and interpreting service.

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

The provider should:

Review how patients with caring responsibilities are identified and recorded on the clinical system to ensure information, advice and support is made available to them.
Continue to maintain records relating to uncollected repeat prescriptions.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP)

Chief Inspector of General Practice