Archived: Cassio Surgery

Updated 9 January 2017

Dr Manoranjan Gujral provides primary medical services to approximately 2,350 patients in Colne House, Watford, Hertfordshire. The practice moved into the current premises in 2014 and is one of three single handed GP practices and one GP partnership based at the same location. The principal GPs for all four practices hold joint meetings and share clinical lead roles in a number of areas such as safeguarding, infection control, dementia and diabetes.

The practice serves a higher than average population of those aged between 0 and 39 years. The practice serves a lower than average population of those aged from 45 to 74 years. The practice told us that 73% of patients identify themselves as Asian and that there are high levels of social deprivation within the local area.

The practice is led by one principal GP and is supported by one salaried GP and two regular locums. One GP is male and three GPs are female. The practice team works across the four GP practices in Colne House and consists of two practice nurses, one health care assistant, a practice manager, four members of the secretarial team and seven members of the administration and reception team.

The practice is open to patients between 8am and 6:30pm Monday to Friday. Appointments with a GP are available from 9am to 11.30am and from 4pm to 6pm daily. Emergency appointments are available daily. The practice is a member of Watford Care Alliance and this service enables the practice to offer appointments to patients during extended opening hours at a number of practices across the locality.

Home visits are available to those patients who are unable to attend the surgery and the Out of Hours service is provided by Hertfordshire Urgent Care and can be accessed via the NHS 111 service. Information about this is available in the practice and on the practice website.

Updated 9 January 2017

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 9 January 2017

The practice is rated as good for the care of people with long-term conditions.

• Nurses had lead roles in chronic disease management and patients at risk of hospital admission were identified as a priority.
• The percentage of patients with diabetes, on the register, in whom the last blood pressure reading (measured in the preceding 12 months) was 140/80 mmHg or less was above the local CCG and national average. The practice had achieved 84% of the total number of points available, compared to local CCG and national average of 78%.
• 64% of patients diagnosed with asthma, on the register, had received an asthma review in the last 12 months which was below the local CCG average of 76% and the national average of 75%. Exception reporting was 0% which was below the local CCG average of 6% and national average of 8%.
• 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. For those patients with the most complex needs, the named GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care.

Updated 9 January 2017

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 identified as being at possible risk, for example, children and young people who had a high number of A&E attendances. 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.
• The practice’s uptake for the cervical screening programme was 92% which was above the local average of 83% and national average of 82%.
• Appointments were available on the same day and outside of school hours.
• We saw positive examples of joint working with midwives and health visitors.

Updated 9 January 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. This included enhanced services for avoiding unplanned admissions to hospital and end of life care.
• The practice was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and urgent appointments when required.
• 77% of patients aged 65 years or over had received a seasonal flu vaccination in the 2015/2016 year.
• The practice worked closely with a multidisciplinary team to support older people and patients considered to be in the last 12 months of their lives.
• The practice provided health checks for patients aged over 75 years and had completed 122 health checks since May 2016, which was 98% of this population group.

Updated 9 January 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 on line services such as appointment bookings, an appointment reminder text messaging service and repeat prescriptions, as well as a full range of health promotion and screening that reflects the needs of this age group.
• Extended appointment times were available to patients on a daily basis.
• 36% of patients aged 60 to 69 years had been screened for bowel cancer in the last 30 months compared to the local CCG average of 59% and national average of 58%.
• 65% of female patients aged 50 to 70 years had been screened for breast cancer in the last three years which was below the local CCG and national average of 72%.

Updated 9 January 2017

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

• The practice held a register of patients experiencing poor mental health and offered regular reviews and same day contact.
• The percentage of patients with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses who have a comprehensive care plan documented in the preceding 12 months was 80%, which was below the local CCG average of 92% and national average of 89%. Exception reporting was 0% which was below the local CCG average of 10% and national average of 13%.
• Staff had a good understanding of how to support patients with mental health needs and dementia.
• All patients diagnosed with dementia had their care plan reviewed in a face to face review within the last 12 months.
• The practice had told patients experiencing poor mental health about how to access various support groups and voluntary organisations.
• The practice referred patients to the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies service (IAPT) and encouraged patients to self-refer.
• The practice had a system in place to follow up patients who had attended A&E where they may have been experiencing poor mental health.

Updated 9 January 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 those with a learning disability. The practice had 19 patients on their learning disability register and had completed 11 health checks since April 2016.
• The practice regularly worked with other health care professionals in the case management of vulnerable patients.
• Vulnerable patients had been told how to access support groups and voluntary organisations.
• Staff had accessed safeguarding training and knew how to recognise signs of abuse in vulnerable adults and children. Staff members 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.
• The practice held a register of carers with 35 carers identified, which was approximately 1.5% of the practice list. The practice told us that their local carers’ association was planning to hold a training session for staff to support the practice in identifying and supporting carers.