Archived: The Nelson Medical Practice

Updated 24 September 2014

The Church Lane Practice is a large GP practice based in Merton, providing primary care services to over 16 000 patients. The practice has two sites, The Church Lane and The Patrick Doody site, which is the provider’s satellite location. During our inspection we visited the Church Lane Practice. The practice is open between 8am and 6.30pm, Monday to Friday. Evening appointments (6.30pm-8pm, Monday to Thursday) are offered at the satellite location. The practice has 12 GPs with some working part time hours, one business manager, a practice manager, four practice nurses, a nurse practitioner and a number of administrative staff.

The health of people in Merton is generally better than the England average, and deprivation is lower. While life expectancy is significantly better than the England average, there is wide variation within the borough from east, where life expectancy is lower, to west. Priorities in Merton include reducing the gap in life expectancy between the least and the most deprived parts of Merton, reducing mortality due to heart disease and cancer, addressing major risk factors such as smoking, diet, exercise and alcohol, and improving sexual health.

Updated 24 September 2014

The Church Lane Practice is a large GP practice based in Merton, providing primary care services to over 16 000 patients. The practice has two sites, The Church Lane and The Patrick Doody site which is a satellite location and has the same patient list as the Church Lane site. During our inspection we visited the Church Lane Practice.

During our inspection we spoke with GPs, the practice manager, the business support manager, practice nurses, nurse practitioner, reception and administrative staff.We also spoke with patients and a mental health advocate group representative.

All of the patients we spoke with reported that they were satisfied with the service they had received. They reported receiving a good service at the practice and felt well cared for. Eight comments cards we received demonstrated that patients were pleased with the care given to them.

The practice was well managed and patients received care that was effective, and caring. We found some areas of improvement in the safety of the care provided and how the practice responded to the care of people experiencing poor mental health.

Older people had a named GP and emergency appointments were always offered to this population group. The practice operated a walk in triage system and babies and small children were prioritised for same day appointments. Extended opening hours were available at a satellite clinic and this enabled the working age people to attend the surgery at times that suited them.

Patients were able to book appointments and request for prescriptions online and this allowed flexibility for all population groups.

The practice worked well with people in vulnerable circumstances, for example the local Faith in Action group which provided accommodation to local homeless people.

People experiencing poor mental health were offered an annual health check and the practice worked in partnership with other providers. However an advocate felt that the appointments system for this population group could be improved to enable them to book appointments flexibly.

The practice is registered with the Care Quality Commission to provide the regulated activities of diagnostic and screening, and treatment of diseases and injury.

Updated 24 September 2014

The provider had arrangements in place to respond to the needs of this population group. Care was based on national guidance along with specific training for staff. The practice held meetings to discuss and update plans for people with chronic conditions with other care providers.

Updated 24 September 2014

The provider had arrangements in place to respond to the needs of this population group. The practice offered assessments to children and young people based on the “Healthy Child Programme”, which ensured all care given was in line with national guidance.

Mothers could access the practice in a number of ways to suit them and their children. A variety of clinics for vaccinations and post natal checks were available and working mothers were able to book evening appointments at a local satellite location.

Updated 24 September 2014

The provider had arrangements in place to respond to the needs of this population group. All patients we spoke with were positive about the practice. Emergency appointments and a named GP for patients over the age of 75 were some of the arrangements in place to meet their needs.

Updated 24 September 2014

The provider had arrangements in place to respond to the needs of this population group. All patients we spoke with spoke highly of the services offered to them. Screening for conditions such as diabetes was available and patients could access evening appointments at the satellite clinic.

Updated 24 September 2014

The provider had some arrangements in place to respond to the needs of this population group. Services were well led by GPs who had a special interest in mental health.  The practice worked in partnership with other health care providers to deliver care and patients were offered an annual health check.

Patients experienced some difficulty accessing the appointments booking system due to its early opening times (the side effects of the medication that some patients were on meant they found it difficult to wake up early in the morning). The practice had taken some action to address this issue.

Updated 24 September 2014

The provider had arrangements in place to respond to the needs of this population group. Patients who used temporary and undisclosed addresses could register at the practice and it worked in partnership with a voluntary organisation that provided support for homeless people.