Archived: Rushden Medical Centre

Updated 15 April 2016

Rushden Medical Centre situated in Adnitt Road, Rushden, Northamptonshire, provides primary medical care for approximately 10900 patients living in Rushden and Higham Ferrers and surrounding areas. The practice also provides a GP service to Spinneyfields Specialist Centre in Rushden, which provides temporary accommodation and respite care for older people while they await appropriate permanent accommodation or to provide a break for their carers.

Rushden Medical Centre provides services under a General Medical Services (GMS) contract agreed nationally. The practice population is made up of predominantly white British but the practice also serves a small ethnic population mostly of Asian and Afro-Caribbean origin.

The practice has four GPs partners (three males and one female). In addition there are two salaried GPs (one male and one female) and a locum GP who is male. There are four practice nurses who undertake a variety of clinical duties. There is a practice manager who is supported by a team of administrative and reception staff. A health visitor, a midwife, a wellbeing team member, a proactive care nurse and a primary care liaison worker from local NHS trusts support patients at this practice. The surgery also self-funded a counsellor.

The practice operates from premises situated at ground level. There is free car parking outside the surgery with adequate disabled parking available.

The practice is open between 8am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday. Open access appointments (without an appointment) are available between 8.30 and 11.30am Monday to Friday but these are restricted to patients who have a single issue to discuss with the GP. The practice is open on alternate Saturdays during which time patients can pre-book routine appointments.

When the practice is closed services are provided via the 111 service.

Updated 15 April 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Rushden Medical Centre on 10 February 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

Our key findings across all the areas we inspected were as follows:

• Patients said they were treated with compassion, dignity and respect and they were involved in their care and decisions about their treatment.

• There was a clear leadership structure, good team work, and appropriate support arrangements for staff.

• There was an open and transparent approach to safety and an effective system in place for reporting and recording significant events.

• Patients’ needs were assessed and care was planned and delivered following best practice guidance. Staff had received role specific training.

• Information about services and how to complain was available and easy to understand.
• The practice was well equipped to treat patients and meet their needs.
• 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 improvement are:

• Monitor the infection control floor and furniture replacement programme so these are delivered on time and according to the schedule and completed by March 2016.

• Risk assess security in relation to prescription pads, this relates to when clinical staff leave the consultation room

• Continue to monitor the measures implemented to improve access to a GP of the patent’s choice

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 15 April 2016

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.

• The practice monitored its performance of patients with long term conditions and acted on it accordingly. For example, the practice performance for diabetes related indicators was comparable to the CCG and national average of 89%.

• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.

• All these patients 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 including those with end of life and palliative needs, the named GP worked with relevant health and care professionals to deliver a multidisciplinary package of care.

Updated 15 April 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 high for all standard childhood immunisations.

• The practice monitored and acted on the needs of families, children and young people.

• 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 of 80% for the cervical screening programme for women aged 25-64 was comparable to other practices in the CCG area.

• Appointments were available outside of school hours and the facilities at the practice were suitable for children and babies.

Updated 15 April 2016

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. It offered reviews for the older person based on detailed analysis of need and risk.

• The practice offered personalised care to patients in a care home as well as in a specialist centre in Rushden, which provided temporary stays and respite care for older people.

• The practice used electronic medication charts for patients receiving palliative care, and electronic forms to record patient choices in relation to resuscitation.

• The practice was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs.

Updated 15 April 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 offered open access appointments in the morning, pre-bookable appointments, and on the day urgent appointments between 08.00 and 18.30.

• The practice offered a wide range of contraceptive services including intrauterine device (IUD or coil) and implants, cervical and chlamydia screening.

• 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.

Updated 15 April 2016

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

• 85% of patients diagnosed with dementia have had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months, which is comparable to the national average.

• The practice regularly worked with multi-disciplinary teams in the case management of people 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 employed its own practice counsellor in addition to the Changing Minds services provided by the local mental health trust.

• 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 15 April 2016

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 homeless people, travellers and those with a learning disability.

• 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.