Archived: Arthington Medical Centre

Updated 17 December 2015

Arthington Medical Centre is located within a purpose built building and has operated from its current site since 1990 and is part of Leeds South and East Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The practice is situated in an area of high socio-economic deprivation within Leeds. There is a higher than national average percentage of patients who have a health related problem which affects their daily life (61% compared to 49% nationally) or claim disability allowance (77% compared to 50% nationally). Their registered patients consist of 85% white British and 15% mixed ethnicity.

The practice provides services for 5829 patients under the terms of the locally agreed NHS General Medical Services (GMS) contract. They are registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to provide the following regulated activities: maternity and midwifery services, family planning, surgical procedures, diagnostic and screening procedures and treatment of disease, disorder or injury. They also offer a range of enhanced services such as extended hours, influenza, pneumococcal and childhood immunisations.

There are two female GP partners who are supported by three male locum GPs; who work at the practice on a regular basis. There is one female practice nurse and a female healthcare assistant in post. The practice has recently recruited a further female practice nurse who was due to commence their employment at the beginning of November. The clinical staff are supported by two practice managers who job share and a team of administration and reception staff. There is also a repeat prescribing clerk who monitors medicines management and repeat prescribing.

Arthington Medical Centre is open between 8am to 8pm on Monday, 7.30am to 6pm on Wednesday and 8am to 6pm Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Appointments are available:

Monday: 8.30am to 11.30am and 3pm to 7.30pm

Tuesday: 8am to 11.30am and 2.30pm to 6pm

Wednesday: 7.30am to 11.30am and 1pm to 5.30pm

Thursday: 8am to 11.30am and 3pm to 5.30pm

Friday: 8am to 11.30am and 3pm to 5.30pm

Out of hours care is provided by Local Care Direct and is accessed via the surgery telephone number or by calling the NHS 111 service.

Updated 17 December 2015

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Arthington Medical Centre on 15 October 2015. 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 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.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment. Urgent appointments were available for the same day as requested, although not necessarily with a GP of their choice.
• The practice sought patient views how improvements could be made to the service, through the use of surveys, the NHS Friends and Family Test and the patient reference group.
• The practice worked closely with other organisations, such as Leeds South and East Clinical Commissioning Group, the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and the local neighbourhood teams, in planning how services were provided to ensure that they met people’s needs.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff felt supported.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.

We saw several areas of outstanding practice:

• The practice liaised with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service on a monthly basis regarding their registered patients who regularly called the ambulance service and attended the accident and emergency department. By having regular multidisciplinary meetings to discuss these patients, additional personalised support was provided. This had resulted in a significant reduction in the number of avoidable telephone calls made by the practice’s patients to the ambulance service and unplanned admissions, which had arisen from those calls.

• The lead GP undertook a weekly ward round at local care homes where they had a number of registered patients. Patients, carers and staff could raise any concerns. Care and support were implemented in a timely manner to avoid any unnecessary hospital admissions.

• The practice sent out a mother and baby pack to all new mums. This pack contained information on childhood immunisation schedules, contact details of the health visitors, details of available services, clinics and groups in the local area. For example, breastfeeding and baby and toddlers’ groups.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 17 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long term conditions.

• All these patients had a named GP and a structured annual review to check that their health and medicines needs were being met. Nursing staff had lead roles in chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.

• The House of Care model was used with all patients who had diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD; which is a disease of the lungs. (The model enabled patients to have a more active part in determining their own care and support needs in partnership with clinicians.)

• The practice employed a pharmacy technician to review all medicine requests and support patients in understanding their treatment regimes.

• The practice was rated higher than the national average for many aspects of care relating to diabetes. For example, 92% of patients had received a foot examination in the preceding 12 months, compared to 88% nationally.

• Screening for COPD was undertaken on all patients aged 35 years and over and who were either a smoker or an ex-smoker. This had resulted in an increase of expected prevalence of COPD.

• Eligible patients were referred to the Leeds Community Healthcare Better for Me programme. This programme supported patients to achieve better self-management of their long term condition by using a person centred holistic approach.

• A member of staff was nominated as a palliative care champion, who ensured all palliative care patients received the care and support they needed.

Updated 17 December 2015

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.

• Patients told us children and young people were treated in an age-appropriate way and were recognised as individuals.

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

• Childhood immunisation and cervical screening uptake rates were comparable to other practices in the locality.

• The practice sent out a mother and baby pack to all new mums. This pack contained information on childhood immunisation schedules, contact details of the health visitors, details of available services, clinics and groups in the local area. For example, breastfeeding and baby and toddlers’ groups.

Updated 17 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people.

• The practice provided proactive, responsive and personalised care to meet the needs of the older people in its population. It offered home visits and urgent appointments for those patients with enhanced needs.

• The practice worked closely with other health and social care professionals, such as the district nursing team, to ensure housebound patients received the care they needed.

• The lead GP undertook a weekly ward round at local care homes where a number of registered patients were residents. Patients, carers and staff could raise any concerns. Care and support were implemented in a timely manner to avoid any unnecessary hospital admissions.

Updated 17 December 2015

The practice is rated as good for the care of working age people (including those recently retired and students).

• The needs of these patients 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.

• Extended hours were available two mornings a week from 7.30am and one evening until 8pm. The practice planned to provide additional winter opening times from November, including appointments on a Saturday.

Updated 17 December 2015

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

• Annual health checks and individualised care plans were offered for these patients and data showed 84% had received one in the last twelve months; which was comparable to local practices.

• The practice regularly worked with multidisciplinary teams in the case management of people in this population group, for example the local mental health team. Patients and/or their carer were given information how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.

• Clinical staff carried out advance care planning for patients with dementia.

• There was 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 people with mental health needs and dementia.

• The practice managers were trained as dementia friends. One of whom was also a dementia champion and held information and support sessions for staff, patients and carers.

Updated 17 December 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, travellers and those with a learning disability.

• The House of Care model was used with all patients with a learning disability. This approach enabled those patients to have a more active part in determining their own care and support needs in partnership with clinicians and their carers.

• Longer appointments were available for patients who needed them. 

• The practice regularly worked with multidisciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people. Information was provided on how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.

• Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse in children, young people and adults whose circumstances may make them vulnerable. They 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.