Drs. Vautrey, Bearpark, Cunliffe, Chida, Hayes, Spencer, Hodgson, Izon, Ghirotto & Fineberg Also known as Meanwood Group Practice

Updated 5 May 2016

The practice is located in a moderately deprived area of Leeds. It has a patient list size of approximately 13,657 with a higher than national average number of patients who are between the ages of 20 and 34.

The practice is located in a purpose built, single storey health centre which also houses community staff such as Community Matrons and speech therapists.

The practice has good working relationships with local health, social and third sector services to support provision of care for its patients. For example; The Royal Voluntary Service, Leeds Irish Health and Home and The Alzheimer’s Society.

The service is provided by nine GP partners (five male and four female) and one female managing partner/practice manager. The partners are supported by two male salaried GPs, a senior practice nurse, four practice nurses, a health care assistant and two phlebotomists. The clinical staff are supported by an experienced team of administrative and secretarial staff.

The practice is a training practice both for medical students and GP registrars (doctors specialising in becoming a GP).

The practice is open from 7.30am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Extended hours are provided from 6pm to 8pm on Monday evenings and 6pm to 8pm on alternate Wednesday and Thursday evenings. The practice closes at lunchtime on Thursday of every month for training, however appointments with GPs are offered from 4pm onwards following the training event.

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.

General Medical Services (GMS) are provided under a contract with NHS England. 

Updated 5 May 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Meanwood Group Practice on 9 March 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good for providing safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led care for all of the population groups it serves.

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 was in place for reporting and recording significant events.
• Risks to patients were assessed and well managed.
• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice 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 were involved in care and decisions about their treatment.
• The practice sought patient views how improvements could be made to the service, through the use of patient surveys, the NHS Friends and Family Test and the patient reference group.
• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• There was a clear leadership structure and staff were supported by management.
• The provider was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.
• Staff were supported to attend role specific training and updates. For example; a salaried GP at the practice was being supported through an ENT diploma at the time of our inspection.
• The practice focused on pursuing hard to reach groups to involve them in diabetic education sessions, this was supported by a specialist dietician.
• The practice were committed to ensuring information was entered onto the clinical system on the same day as it was received to ensure accurate information was available at all times. There was a system and dedicated time for daily correspondence and results management.
• The practice used the Leeds Care Record to ensure information regarding health and social care was easily accessible.

We saw areas of outstanding practice:

• The practice took a proactive approach to monitoring and management of risks to patients. The practice had carried out a risk assessment for each room within the practice and involved all staff members in this process. There was also a dedicated reporting form which staff were required to complete if any hazard was noticed. For example; faulty light switches and trip hazards.

• The practice had introduced a system of home monitoring for patients with hypertension. This enabled the patient to carry out tests at home, which helped to reduce the stress of undertaking tests in a clinical environment, and supported management of self-care.

• Additional services were provided at the practice for registered patients and those who were referred from other practices. For example; minor surgery, non-benign gynaecology and an ear nose and throat clinic. These services were overseen by hospital consultants, reducing the number of patients attending hospital appointments and giving patients the choice to access care closer to home.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 5 May 2016

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. The practice nurses had lead roles in chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.
• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.
• The practice was participating in the Year of Care programme. An initiative aimed to encourage patients with long term conditions to understand their condition and select their own personal targets.
• The practice focused on pursuing hard to reach groups to involve them in diabetic education sessions, this was supported by a specialist dietician.
• The practice had a well-established diabetic clinic with a Lead GP and nurse who both specialised in diabetes.
• The practice had a system to monitor and review patients who were found to have pre-diabetes.

Updated 5 May 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.
• Patients and staff 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. All children who required an urgent appointment were seen on the same day as requested.
• There was a midwife attached to the practice who ran ante-natal and postnatal clinics four days a week.
• The practice ran childhood immunisation clinics twice a week with Health Visitors present for development checks and baby weighing. This was supported by a recall system for non-attenders resulting in the practice achieving targets in this area.
• Patients could access a full range of contraceptive services including fitting of implants and emergency contraception.
• The practice had previously been accredited as a “Young People Friendly” practice with a dedicated nurse leading on young people’s health.
• All patients registering with the practice were offered the opportunity to have blood borne virus screening.
• The practice had achieved 89% against the cervical screening domain, this was better than the CCG average of 81% and national 82%.

Updated 5 May 2016

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. Home visits and urgent appointments were available for those patients with enhanced needs.
• The practice supported Leeds North Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) initiatives to reduce the rate of elderly patients’ acute admission to hospital.
• The practice had a wellbeing co-ordinator who maintained regular contact with patients and identified any additional support required.
• The practice were co-located with community staff such as Community Matrons, Community Nurses, Speech Therapists, Podiatrist and mental health services, giving staff immediate access to discuss patients requirements.

The practice had established good relationships with third sector organisations that provided social support. For example; Zest for Life and The Royal Voluntary Service.

Updated 5 May 2016

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 the option to book appointments and request repeat prescriptions online as well as a 24 hour automated telephone service for booking, cancelling, checking and changing appointments.
• There were a range of appointments available including book on the day and book in advance. In addition, telephone consultations were available from 8am until 11.30am daily for patients who were unable to access the practice for an appointment.
• The reception desk was open from 7.30am on a daily basis to allow patients to call for repeat prescriptions and book or change appointments.
• There was a full range of health promotion and screening that reflected the needs for this age group. For example, cervical screening and annual health checks.

Updated 5 May 2016

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

• 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 on how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations, such as Carers Leeds.
• 92% of patients diagnosed with dementia had received a face to face review of their care in the last 12 months, which was better than the local and national averages
• The practice had a system in place to check patients at high risk of dementia and had increased detection rates from 59% in April 2014 to 69% as at March 2015.
• A memory nurse was based at the practice and available to provide support to patients. A memory nurse is a health care professional who supports patients with memory problems, such as those who have dementia. They provide specialist care and advice which is personalised to meet the patient’s needs.
• The practice employed a wellbeing co-ordinator who worked with patients and signposted to other services. For example; local luncheon clubs, Social Services and Alzheimer’s services.
• Staff had a good understanding of how to support patients with mental health needs and dementia.

Updated 5 May 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 and regularly worked with multidisciplinary teams in the case management of this population group.
• The practice had a system to alert staff to patients with known vulnerabilities or complex needs. For example; when longer appointments were required or the need to see a specific GP.
• Information was provided on how to access various local support groups and voluntary organisations.
• Longer appointments were available for patients as needed.
• 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.
• People with disabilities could access all areas of the buildings; there was braille signage and a hearing loop in the reception area.
• Carers were identified and recorded opportunistically by the practice when booking appointments or telephone consultations. Patients who were identified as carers were signposted to Carers Leeds.
• The practice hosted other services which patients could easily access. For example; weekly sessions from Citizens Advice Bureau and an alcohol worker from Forward Leeds.