Archived: Dr Gillian Gertner Also known as Rosslyn Hill Practice

Updated 11 May 2016

Dr Gillian Gertner (“the Provider”) operates the Rosslyn Hill Practice, at 20 Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, London NW3 1PD. The premises are leased and converted from domestic use. The practice is situated near the Royal Free Hospital, with good local transport links.

The practice provides NHS services through a Personal Medical Services (PMS) contract to approximately 1,700 patients. It is part of the NHS Camden Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) which is made up of 40 general practices. The Provider is registered with the CQC to undertake the following regulated activities - diagnostic and screening procedures, maternity and midwifery services, treatment of disease, disorder or injury.

The patient profile for the CCG has a higher number of working age adults than the national average, with fewer older patients and younger people aged under-19. Data provided by the practice showed that most patients are employed, and are from higher socio-economic groups, with generally good health outcomes.

The Provider employs a regular locum GP, together working 10 clinical sessions per week. At the time of the inspection, there was no employed practice nurse, with the Provider and locum GPs generally covering the nurse’s role, for instance dealing with health checks, cervical screening and immunisations. However, occasionally locum nurses are used when needed. The administrative team is made up of a practice manager, assistant manager and an administrator, who share reception duties.

The practice’s reception opening hours are as follows –

Monday 9.00am to 12.00 noon; 2.30pm to 6.00pm

Tuesday 9.00am to 12.00 noon; 2.30pm to 6.00pm

Wednesday 9.00am to 12.00 noon; 2.30pm to 4.00pm

Thursday 9.00am to 12.00 noon

Friday 9.00am to 12.00 noon; 2.30pm to 5.00pm

Surgery hours are –

Monday 9.15am to 12.15pm; 3.00pm to 4.45pm; 6.30pm to 7.30pm

Tuesday 9.15am to 12.15pm; 3.00pm to 5.45pm

Wednesday 9.15am to 12.15pm; 1.30pm to 3.45pm

Thursday 9.15am to 12.15pm

Friday 9.15am to 12.15pm; 2.30pm to 4.45pm

The practice does not open at weekends.

Appointments are available throughout the day and can be booked online by patients who have previously registered to use the facility. Routine appointments are 15 minutes long, with 30 minutes appointments available on request. Telephone consultations and home visits are available.

The practice has opted out of providing an out-of-hours service. Patients calling the practice when it is closed are connected with the local out-of-hours service provider. There is a link to the NHS 111 service on the practice website, which also includes details of local urgent care centres.

Updated 11 May 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection on 7 March 2016. 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.
• Data showed that the practice was performing consistently better than expected when compared with similar services.
• Feedback from patients about their care was consistently positive.
• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.
• Patients said it was easy to make an appointment, with urgent appointments available the same day.
• The practice had good facilities and was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• The practice team had clearly-defined roles and staff felt supported by the Provider.
• The practice proactively sought feedback from staff and patients, which it acted on.
• The practice was aware of and complied with the requirements of the Duty of Candour.
• Staff had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• There was an active patient participation group.

The practice should –

• Continue to review patients’ access to the service, particularly regarding practice opening hours.
• Continue with work to identify patients who are carers and update its records accordingly.

Professor Steve Field CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 11 May 2016

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

• The practice maintained a register of 53 patients on the diabetes register, of whom 50 (94%) had received an annual eye check and foot check.
• Nine out of 10 patients on the practice’s heart failure register had had a medication review.
• Longer appointments were routinely made to review patients with long-term conditions and home visits were available when needed.
• The flu vaccination rate for at risk patients was higher than the national average, for example for diabetic patients the rate was 96% and for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease it was 100%.
• All these patients had a structured annual review to check their health and medicines needs were being met. For those patients with the most complex needs, the Provider worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care.

Updated 11 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 A&E attendances. Immunisation rates were relatively high for all standard childhood immunisations.
• The percentage of patients with asthma on the register who had an asthma review in the preceding 12 months was above the national average.
• Patients told us that children and young people were treated in an age-appropriate way and were recognised as individuals.
• The rate of uptake for cervical screening tests was above the national average.
• 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 social workers.

Updated 11 May 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of older people.

• The practice kept a register of 38 patients identified as being at high risk of admission to hospital. All of whom had had their care plans reviewed.
• 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.
• Records showed that 200 (90%) of the 222 patients prescribed more than four medications had received a structured annual review.
• Records showed that 29 (40%) of 72 patients had been offered cognition testing. The practice had identified that further work could be done and was inviting patients for the test as well as offering the testing opportunistically when patients attended the surgery.
• The flu vaccination rates for older people were above the local and national averages.
• Data showed the practice had administered shingles vaccinations to 87% of eligible patients aged over-70.

Updated 11 May 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 for this age group.
• Records showed that 617 patients (85% of those eligible) had had a blood pressure check.

Updated 11 May 2016

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

• All seven patients on the dementia register had had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months, which was above the national average, and evidence showed that advanced care planning was carried out for all.
• The practice maintained a register of 26 patients with schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and other psychoses; 22 of whom had a comprehensive, agreed care plan documented in the record, in the preceding 12 months.
• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people experiencing poor mental health, including those 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 11 May 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of people whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.

• The practice maintained registers of vulnerable adults (12 patients); vulnerable children and homeless patients, who were able to register at the practice address to receive health care related correspondence.
• The practice had a register of four patients with learning disabilities, all of whom had had an annual assessment and care plan review.
• The practice offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.
• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of vulnerable people.
• 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.