Woodbridge Medical Centre

Updated 21 January 2016

Woodbridge Medical Centre is situated at Jubilee Gardens, Southall Ealing, UB1 2TJ in a health centre which it shares with another GP practice and local community services. The practice provides NHS primary care services through an Alternative Provider Medical Services (APMS) contract to approximately 5,000 people living in the London Borough of Ealing.

The practice population is multicultural with the majority being of South-East Asian origin. There is a higher proportion of 25 to 39 year old and under 4 and lower proportions of older people. The practice area is rated in the fourth more deprived decile of the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). People living in more derived areas tend to have greater need for health services.

The practice is registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to provide the regulated activities of diagnostic and screening procedures; treatment of disease; disorder or injury; maternity and midwifery services, surgical procedures and family planning.

The practice has two male GP Partners and one female salaried GP (23 sessions in total). The practice team consists of a practice nurse (32 hours / week) and a healthcare assistant (34 hours / week). There is a Practice Manager and Assistant Practice Manager who are supported by an administrative and reception team.

The practice is open between 8.00am and 7.00pm five days a week. Clinical appointments are available from 9.00am to 12.30pm every morning and 4.30pm to 6.30pm in the afternoon. An extended hours surgery is held on Saturday morning from 9.30am to 12.30pm which includes both GP and nurse appointments. The phone lines are open on Saturday from 10.30am to 11.30am. When the surgery is closed, out-of-hours services are provided by Harmoni via 111 and details can be found on the practice website.

The practice is open on Sunday on a rota basis with other practices in the area as part of a new service offered by Ealing CCG as a result of funding awarded from the Prime Minister’s Challenge Fund. This enables Ealing residents to access GP services seven days a week. The practice also participates in the Winter Enhanced service and offers lunchtime appointments on Thursdays (Enhanced services are defined as primary medical services other than essential services, additional services or out-of-hours services. NHS England commissions these services across England).

The practice provided a wide range of services including clinics for chronic illnesses, childhood immunisations and child health surveillance, ear syringing, well woman clinics, family planning, NHS health checks, cervical smears, smoking cessation, travel vaccinations and dementia screening.

Updated 21 January 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Woodbridge Medical Centre on 1 December 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 although it was not prominently displayed in the waiting area for patients to view.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and that there was continuity of care, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• 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 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.

The areas where the provider should make improvement are:

• Ensure an anaphylaxis kit is available in the practice nurse’s room when giving vaccines.

• Provide easily accessible instructions on the procedure to take if the vaccine fridge goes out of range.

• Ensure notices for support groups and organisations and information on the complaints procedure is displayed prominently in the practice waiting room on the first floor for patients to view in addition to the community waiting area on the ground floor.

• Develop a programme of clinical audit to ensure outcomes for patients are maintained and improved.

• Develop a formal strategy to deliver the practice vision.

• Ensure all clinical staff have an adequate understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 21 January 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.

• The prevalence for diabetes was double the CCG average and the practice had scored above CCG / national average in their QOF performance in the previous year for diabetes related indicators.

• The prevalence for hypertension was 50% above the CCG average and the practice had scored above CCG / national average in their QOF performance in the previous year for hypertension related indicators.

• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.

• All these patients had a named GP and a structured annual review to check that their health and medicines 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 21 January 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people.

• All children were provided with same day appointments when requested.

• Immunisation rates were relatively high for all standard childhood immunisations.

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

• The practice’s uptake for the cervical screening programme was 83.1%, which was comparable to the CCG and national averages.

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

• The practice worked with health visitors who were based in the health centre where the practice was located.

Updated 21 January 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.

• It was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs. Saturday appointments were available for patients who wished to be accompanied by a family member. A service offering transport to the surgery “Plusbus” was offered.

• The practice had a named GP for all patients over 75.

Updated 21 January 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 offered evening appointments four days a week and weekend appointments which were of particular benefit for working patients who could not attend during normal opening hours.

Updated 21 January 2016

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

• 252 patients had been screened for dementia in the previous year.

• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia.

• Staff had a good understanding of how to support people with mental health needs and dementia.

• Flexible appointments were available for this population group.

Updated 21 January 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, the housebound and those with a learning disability. The practice had helped two homeless patients secure accommodation.

• 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.

• 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.