South View Partnership

Updated 6 April 2016

South View Partnership was formed in April 2014 by the merger of two practices, who had previously worked closely together from this building for over 40 years.

The practice operates from a single location close to Bromley town centre, Kent. It is one of 43 GP practices in the Bromley Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) area. There were 12764 patients registered at the practice at the time of our inspection. The practice has a larger than average population of patients aged between 30 and 49 years, and a lower than national average representation of income deprived children and older people.

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

The practice has a general medical services (GMS) contract with the NHS and is signed up to a number of enhanced services (enhanced services require an enhanced level of service provision above what is normally required under the core GP contract). These enhanced services include childhood vaccination and immunisation, flu and pneumococcal immunisations, services for violent patients, patients with learning disabilities, and extended opening hours.

The practice clinical team is made up of five GP partners (three male and two female), two male and two female salaried GPs, and three female practice nurses. Three of the GP partners each worked 7.25 sessions per week, the other two GP partners worked 4.5 sessions per week. The four salaried GPs worked one, four, 6.5 and 7.75 sessions per week.

The clinical team is supported by a practice manager, an assistant practice manager, and a team of 14 reception and administrative staff members, a medical secretary and two scanning clerks.

The practice is a training practice for GP trainees and medical students in their final year of training. At the time of our inspection, there were four trainees placed at the practice.

The practice is open between 8.00am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday. Routine and urgent appointments are available throughout the day. The practice is open on Saturday mornings for pre-booked appointments only.

The practice has opted out of providing out-of-hours (OOH) services and directs their patients to a contracted out-of-hours service.

Updated 6 April 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr J Heathcote and Partners (also known as South View partnership) on 08 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 and easy to understand.
• Patients said they sometimes found it difficult to get through to the practice by telephone
• Patients told us appointments with a named GP were not readily available, and that this led to reduced continuity of care. However urgent appointments with a GP were available.
• 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.

However we found that the provider should:

• Ensure improvements are made in the documentation of the incidents management process, and a written policy is in place in relation to significant events.

• Ensure emergency numbers are included in their business continuity plan

• Ensure work continues to ensure improved access to the service, including telephone access and appointments availability.

• Carry out risk assessment to demonstrate whether non-clinical staff require disclosure and barring service (DBS) checks

• Ensure nursing staff have appropriate training in safeguarding children and adults from abuse.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 6 April 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.

• Nationally reported data showed that the practice performed well against clinical indicators relating to the care of patients with long term conditions , such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes mellitus, and rheumatoid arthritis

• 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 6 April 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 on the child protection register.

• There were monthly meetings to discuss the care of children on the child protection register

• Immunisation rates were similar to the local area averages for the nationally recommended childhood immunisations.

• The practice’s uptake for the cervical screening programme was 82%, which was the same as the national average.

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

• We saw good examples of joint working with midwives and health visitors

• The practice offered online services which allowed patients to order repeat prescriptions, book and cancel appointments, and view parts of their medical records.

Updated 6 April 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. This was acknowledged positively in feedback from patients.

• Care and treatment of older people reflected current evidence-based practice, and older people had care plans where necessary.

• Nationally reported data showed that the practice performed well against clinical indicators relating to the care of patients with certain conditions commonly found in older people such as osteoporosis, cancer, dementia and rheumatoid arthritis.

• The percentage of people aged 65 or over who received a seasonal flu vaccination was similar to the CCG and national averages: 69% of eligible patients in the practice were vaccinated, whilst the national average was 73%

Updated 6 April 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 of this age group.

Updated 6 April 2016

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

• 83% of people diagnosed with dementia had had their car reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months.

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

• It carried out advance care planning for patients with dementia.

• The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.

• It 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 people with mental health needs and dementia.

Updated 6 April 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, and those 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.

• The practice provided a number of enhanced services including provision of GP services to a residential centre for vulnerable families, GP services to a rehabilitation service, and support and treatment to people who misuse substances

• 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.