Archived: Dr Christine Whittaker Also known as Hollyoaks Medical Centre

Updated 9 April 2015

Dr Christine Whittaker provides primary care services at Hollyoaks Medical Centre for patients in Wythall and the surrounding area. The service is responsible for providing primary care for 4,900 patients. It is located in a rural area with a large elderly population. Twenty-nine per cent of patients are aged over 65, many of whom have long term medical conditions.

The practice is managed by a single handed GP supported by three salaried GPs, a locum GP, a practice manager, two practice nurses, a healthcare assistant, plus receptionists and other staff who provide administrative support. The lead retired since our inspection took place.

There are a total of 11 GP sessions each week and 10 sessions held by the practice nurse. The practice does not provide out of hours services to their own patients. Patients are provided with information about the local out of hours service. Patients can access this by using the NHS 111 phone number.

The practice provided medical cover to five local care homes. They contained over 200 residents.

Regulated activities are provided from Dr Christine Whittaker, Hollyoaks Medical Centre, 229 Station Rd, Wythall, Birmingham, which we visited for our inspection.

There have been no previous concerns raised with CQC about the practice.

Dr Christine Whittaker provides a range of NHS services including blood testing, chiropody, physiotherapy and anti-coagulant testing. Bereavement and mental health counselling sessions are held there.

Updated 9 April 2015

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out a comprehensive inspection of Dr Christine Whittaker (also known as Hollyoaks Medical Centre) on 5 November 2014. The inspection team was led by a CQC inspector and included a GP specialist advisor, a practice manager and an Expert by Experience. We found Dr Christine Whittaker provided a good service to patients in four of the five key areas we looked at. Improvements were needed to ensure the practice provides well led services to its patients. This applied to patients across all age ranges and to patients with varied needs due to their health or social circumstances.

Our key findings were as follows:

• The practice had some systems for monitoring and maintaining the safety of the practice and the care and treatment they provide to their patients. These needed development.
• The practice was proactive in helping people with long term conditions to manage their health and had arrangements in place to make sure their health was monitored regularly.
• The practice was clean and hygienic and had some arrangements for reducing the risks from healthcare associated infections.
• Patients felt that they were treated with dignity and respect. They felt that their GP listened to them and treated them as individuals.
• The practice had a well-established and well trained team and had expertise and experience in a wide range of health conditions.

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

Importantly the provider should:

• Develop a formal plan for the completion of clinical audit cycles. We saw examples of completed cycles and some that were shortly due to be completed, however, no organised plan of when these should be undertaken.
• Clarify its future succession planning to include how the practice will be managed when the current GP retires.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 9 April 2015

This practice is rated as good for the care of people with long term conditions, for example asthma and diabetes. 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.

Updated 9 April 2015

This practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people. The practice held weekly childhood vaccination clinics for babies and children. Child ‘flu vaccinations were also provided. A ground floor surgery was used to make access easier for parents. A midwife came to the practice every week to see expectant mothers. Staff told us that ante-natal and post-natal appointments for mothers were usually done by the female GPs. The practice provided a family planning service.

Updated 9 April 2015

This practice is rated as good for the care of older people. Patients over the age of 75 had a named GP and were included on the practices ‘avoiding unplanned admissions’ list to alert the team to people who may be more vulnerable. The GPs carried out visits to people’s homes if they were unable to travel to the practice for appointments. The practice was in the process of delivering its ‘flu vaccination programme. The practice nurse was arranging to do these at people’s homes if their health prevented them from attending the clinics at the surgery. The practice worked with five local care homes to provide a responsive service to the people who lived there. However, GPs told us the nursing homes generate a large volume of work that took a large amount of GP time on occasions and a plan would need to be made to reduce this workload as it could be a strain for the practice team at times.

Updated 9 April 2015

This practice is rated as good for the care of working age people, recently retired people and students. The practice provided extended opening hours until 8pm on Wednesdays for people unable to visit the practice during the day. They also had arrangements for people to have telephone consultations with a GP. 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 9 April 2015

This practice is rated as good for the care of people experiencing poor mental health (including people with dementia). The practice had a register of people at the practice with mental health support and care needs and invited them for annual health checks. Staff described close working relationships with the local mental health team which worked with the practice to identify patients’ needs and to provide patients with counselling, support and information.

Updated 9 April 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 homeless people and those with a learning disability. It had carried out annual health checks for people with a learning disability. It offered longer appointments for people with a learning disability.

The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people. It had told 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.