Woodhouse Medical Practice

Updated 28 September 2016

Woodhouse Medical Practice is located in Woodhouse Health Centre, Cambridge Road, Leeds, LS6 2SF. There is also a branch site, Chandos Medical Centre which is located at 123 Lidgett Lane, Leeds, LS8 1QR. We visited both sites as part of our inspection.

The practice is situated within the Leeds North Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to provide primary medical services under the terms of a general medical services (GMS) contract. This is a contract between general practices and NHS England for delivering services to the local community.

The service is provided by three GP partners (female) and three salaried GPs (female). The practice also has a nurse practitioner, three practice nurses, a health care assistant and an apprentice health care assistant. The clinical staff are supported by a practice manager and an experienced team of administrative and reception staff.

The practice is a training practice both for medical students and second year foundation students (FY2s). An FY2 is a grade of medical practitioner undertaking a two year postgraduate medical training programme which forms the bridge between medical school and further specialist training. This gave patients the opportunity to access a male GP on a periodic basis.

The practice serves a population of 7,889 patients and is classified as being in one of the more deprived areas of Leeds. Woodhouse Medical Practice is located close to the city centre and university resulting in a higher than average number of patients under the age of 44. Chandos Medical Centre is situated to the North of the city in a more suburban setting. The demography of the two sites differs in relation to age and working status.

Woodhouse Medical Practice is situated in a purpose built building with car parking available. Chandos Medical Centre is also a purpose built building; however this is a less modern building and does not have a dedicated car park.

When the practice is closed out-of-hours services are provided by Local Care Direct, which can be accessed via the surgery telephone number or by calling the NHS 111 service.

Updated 28 September 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Woodhouse Medical Practice on 18 May 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.
• The practice had piloted a consultant led memory clinic in a primary care setting and as a result the scheme had been extended to other sites across Leeds.
• 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.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 28 September 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.
• 91% of patients with diabetes, on the register, had a record of a foot examination and risk classification completed in the previous year; (CCG average 86%, England average 88%).
• 95% of patients with diabetes, on the register, had received an influenza immunisation in the preceding 12 months which was the same as the CCG and national average.
• 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.
• The practice was participating in the ‘Year of Care’ programme. An initiative which involved the nursing team attending motivational training courses to encourage patients to take ownership of their conditions and change lifestyles to improve health.
• The practice was part of the ‘Chapeltown Diabetes Service’ which gave patients access to a dedicated specialist community nurse. The nurse provided telephone advice to staff within the practice and patients could access a monthly clinic.
• The practice used an electronic system to monitor patients using amber drugs and ensure all necessary checks were carried out. (Amber drugs are drugs which can only be initiated by a hospital specialist. Responsibility for their ongoing prescription and monitoring can be transferred to GPs once the patient is stabilised on the medicine).
• The practice hosted a health advisor clinic on a weekly basis which all patients could access. In addition the practice had set up a surgery pod allowing enabling patients to self monitor vital signs such as weight and blood pressure.

Updated 28 September 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 accident and emergency (A&E) attendances. Immunisation rates were relatively high for all standard childhood immunisations.
• The practice carried out monthly searches for patients under the age of five who had been added to or removed from the patient list to ensure timely liaison with other services, such as health visitors.
• 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.
• The practice held dedicated baby clinics at both sites.
• The practice worked with midwives, health visitors and school nurses to support the needs of this population group. For example, ante-natal, post-natal and child health surveillance clinics.
• Contraceptive services were provided at the practice and the practice was a registered C-card distribution site. C-card sites allow any person aged between 13 and 24 to access free condoms
• 81% of eligible patients had received cervical screening in the preceding five years (CCG and England average 82%).

Updated 28 September 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 longer appointments, home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs.
• The practice provided flu vaccinations at home for patients who were unable to access the surgery.
• The practice used dosette boxes when dispensing medication to increase compliance and safety (dosette type boxes are boxes where medicines are stored. They can be filled with assistance from families or carers, and have compartments for days of the week and/or times of day). A GP at the practice made weekly visits to a local care home to ensure continuity of care.
• The practice conducted a quarterly search of patients aged 75 and over and any patient who had not accessed services within the last 12 months was contacted and an assessment of their needs was made.
• The practice signposted patients to local voluntary groups such as ’Better for Me’ and ‘Caring Together’.

Updated 28 September 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.
• The practice used text appointment reminders with a cancellation option.
• The practice offered early morning appointments with the practice nurse.
• Saturday morning appointments were offered for flu vaccinations during the flu season to enable patients to access these around work hours.
• The practice offered online services as well as a full range of health promotion and screening that reflected the needs for this age group. For example, cervical screening, bowel screening and NHS health checks for patients between the ages of 40 and 74.
• Weekly travel clinics were held at the practice and the practice was a registered Yellow Fever Centre.

Updated 28 September 2016

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

• 85% of patients diagnosed with dementia who had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months, which is comparable to the CCG and national average of 86%.
• 85% of patients who had a complex mental health problem, such as schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses, had a comprehensive, agreed care plan documented in their record in the preceding 12 months (CCG average 90% and England average of 88%).
• The practice had a system in place to alert the practice nurse to any patients who cancelled appointment for their regular depot injections. These patients would be repeatedly contacted to ensure the medication was given. Depot injections are administered to combat symptoms of psychosis in patients.
• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of patients experiencing poor mental health, including those 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 had piloted a consultant led memory clinic in a primary care setting and as a result the scheme had been extended to other sites across Leeds.

Updated 28 September 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, travellers and those with a learning disability.
• All patients on the learning disabilities register were offered an annual health check.
• Those patients identified as having additional needs had an alert on their medical record to ensure all staff were aware.
• 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.
• Staff within the practice had undertaken deaf awareness training to assist when dealing with patients who were deaf or hard of hearing.
• The practice hosted a weekly alcohol and drug intervention clinic which patients could access.