UEA Medical Centre

Updated 18 October 2018

University of East Anglia Medical Centre is situated in Norwich, Norfolk within the university complex. The practice is situated in the NHS Norwich CCG area. The practice has a Primary Medical Services (PMS) contract with the NHS and there are approximately 21,500 patients registered at the practice.

The practice has 13 GPs (five male and eight female), of whom six are partners and have lead responsibilities and management roles. The practice is an accredited training practice.

The GPs were supported by a nurse team consisting of five nurses, a healthcare assistant and a phlebotomist. There is a business manager and a number of support staff who undertake various duties. There is an operations manager and a team of receptionists. All staff at the practice worked a range of different hours including full and part-time.

The practice is open Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 6.30pm and with extended opening hours between 6.30pm and 8pm on a Tuesday and 8.30am and 12pm on a Saturday. Outside of these hours, GP services are provided by IC24 via the NHS 111 service.

Due to the practice being based within the university complex, a high proportion of patients (65%) are students and a high proportion of patients were born overseas (43%). The practice therefore has a much lower than average number of patients over the age of 65. Patients are able to maintain registration with the practice following graduation from university providing they continue to reside within the practices’ catchment area.

The practice population can vary significantly throughout the year; due to the number of patients leaving the university prior to the summer and approximately 4,000 new registrations each September.

Updated 18 October 2018

This practice is rated as good overall. At the previous inspection in October 2015 the practice was rated as outstanding overall; with an outstanding rating achieved for responsive and well-led services and a good rating achieved for safe, effective and caring.

The key questions are rated as:

Are services safe? – Good

Are services effective? – Good

Are services caring? – Good

Are services responsive? – Good

Are services well-led? – Good

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at University of East Anglia Medical Centre on 7 September 2018.

At this inspection we found:

• The practice routinely reviewed the effectiveness and appropriateness of the care it provided and worked with the university to ensure that care and treatment were provided at the most appropriate times. It ensured that care and treatment was delivered according to evidence-based guidelines.
• The practice’s performance in relation to the Quality Outcome Framework (QOF) results was generally in line with the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and national averages.
• The practice had a programme of quality improvement activity planned and we saw evidence of a two-cycle audit completed which positively impacted on the quality of patient care.
• The practice had been operating a Norfolk and Suffolk Foundation Trust and University of East Anglia Medical Centre pilot for the placement of a mental health specialist nurse providing one session a week at the practice for approximately one year.
• Results from the July 2017 national GP patient survey were generally above local and national averages.
• The practice had initiated positive service improvements for its patients that were over and above its contractual obligations. It acted on suggestions for improvements and changed the way it delivered services in response to feedback from patients and the patient participation group (PPG).
• We saw evidence that complaints and significant events were handled effectively, trends were analysed and lessons learned and distributed amongst relevant staff.
• The practice actively reviewed the needs of its population and worked directly with the university to respond to patient needs and demand; the practice ensured that clinics were held at the correct time.
• The practice offered intuitive online services such as online registration that automatically notified the practice of existing long-term conditions and a website which translated into over 100 different languages to meet the need of the diverse student population.
• The leadership, governance and culture were used to drive and improve the delivery of high-quality person-centred care.
• There were high levels of staff and patient satisfaction. Staff were proud of the organisation as a place to work and spoke highly of the culture and morale.
• There were consistently high levels of constructive staff, patient and external stakeholder engagement.

The areas where the provider should make improvements are:

• Review and improve the uptake of cervical screening.
• Review and improve Quality Outcomes Framework exception reporting for Diabetes.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGPChief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 18 October 2018

Updated 18 October 2018

Updated 18 October 2018

Updated 18 October 2018

Updated 18 October 2018

Updated 18 October 2018