Dr VSR Chadalavada & Partners

Updated 29 March 2017

Dr Chadalavada and Partners have a main surgery at 77 Woodhead Road covering the boundaries of Abbey Hulton and a branch location at Upper Huntbach Street covering the surrounding areas of Hanley. The main site is situated in a large purpose built building and the branch surgery is located in Hanley Health Centre which is an NHS building and has the added availability of community services such as district nurses, health visitors, midwives and dental services within the building.

Both buildings have full disabled access, disabled toilets children’s facilities and areas for breast feeding mothers. Care parking at the health centre is limited but there is plenty of street parking adjacent to the Woodhead Road location.

The practice is commissioned under a Personal Medical Services and is a member of NHS Stoke on Trent, Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to provide a service to approximately 6,700 patients.

They are situated in the second most deprived area in the country. They have a slightly higher than average number patient population (58%) with a long standing disease or condition and a lower than average number of patients who are over the age of 75 (2%).

As a teaching practice, medical students spend part of their training with the practice from Keele Medical School. The Practice is also involved with medical research in partnership with Keele University.

There are three GP partners, two male and one female, and a practice nurse team comprising of two nurses and a health care assistant. The clinicians are supported by a practice manager and assistant practice manager and a number of reception, administration and domestic staff. The practice is open as follows :-

Mon: 08.00 – 18:30 (late surgery 18:30-19:00)

Tue: 08.00 – 18.30

Wed: 08.00 – 18.30

Thu: 08.00 – 13.00

Fri: 08.00 – 18:30 (late surgery 18:30-19:00)

When the practice is closed, patients are asked to call 111 to be directed to the Out of Hours service. Urgent appointments are available each day with a doctor or one of the nurses and can be accessed by speaking to a receptionist. Nurses are available mornings and afternoons to treat minor ailments. Home visits are available on request for patients who are unable to attend the surgery and all GPs are usually available to give telephone advice (by arrangement) after their morning surgeries.

Updated 29 March 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Dr Chadalavada and Partners on 17 January 2017. 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 been trained to provide them with 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. Improvements were made to the quality of care as a result of complaints and concerns.
• Patients said they found it easy to make an appointment with a named GP and 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 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.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are as follows :

• Consider introducing standard agendas for meetings to record and evidence that consistent discussions are taking place over time.
• Consider introducing a pro-active checking system to ensure that medical indemnity, locum checks, staff training and nurse registrations are up to date.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 29 March 2017

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.
• 2015/2016 indicators for long term conditions were as follows :

• Diabetes 90% which was1% below the local average but 5% higher than the national average.
• Atrial fibrillation, cancer and chronic kidney disease indicators were all at 100%.

• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.
• All patients with a long term condition had a named GP and a structured annual review to check their health and medicines needs were being met.
• Patients with the most complex needs were co-managed by their GP and any other relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care.

Updated 29 March 2017

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

• The practice offered a vasectomy clinic with a full pre-operation counselling service, consultations and operations at flexible times on two evenings per week and at weekends.
• 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 A&E attendances. We saw a safeguarding register which showed that patients were monitored and reviewed.
• 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, and we saw evidence to confirm this.
• Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies.
• We saw positive examples of joint working with midwives, health visitors and school nurses.

Updated 29 March 2017

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.
• The practice was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs.
• 2015/2016 indicators for patients with dementia, suffered a stroke and/or had heart failure were all at 100%.

Updated 29 March 2017

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.
• Extended hours were available at Abbey Clinic on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 6.30pm until 7pm and at Hanley Clinic on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 6.30pm until 7pm.

Updated 29 March 2017

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

• 86% of patients diagnosed with dementia had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months, which was better when compared to the CCG average of 83% and the national average of 83%.
• The percentage of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses who have a comprehensive, agreed care plan documented in the record, in the preceding 12 months was 94% which was better when compared to the CCG average of 90% and national average of 85%.
• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of patients experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia.
• The practice 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.
• The practice 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 patients with mental health needs and dementia.

Updated 29 March 2017

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 the elderly, those with a learning disability, carers and children at risk. There were 61 patients on the safeguarding register.
• The practice offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.
• The practice regularly worked with other health care professionals in the case management of vulnerable patients.
• The practice informed 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.