Dr G Shields and Partners Also known as Allesley Park Medical Centre

Updated 22 September 2016

Dr E Cowan and Partners, known as Allesley Park Medical Centre, serves the Allesley Park area on the west side of Coventry. It operates under a General Medical Services (GMS) contract with NHS England. A GMS contract is one type of contract between general practices and NHS England for delivering primary care services to local communities. The practice was first established in 1955 and is currently based within the recently constructed Allesley Park Neighbourhood Centre where it shares modern purpose build facilities with a range of other local services. The building has accessible facilities for patients with disabilities. Allesley Park Medical Centre has a patient list size of 8,171 including some patients who live in two local care homes.

The practice has two registered locations which are linked for data collection purposes. The second location, the University of Warwick Health Centre, has a student population of 9,076. Due to the large number of students registered at the second location the overall data results for Dr E Cowan and Partners reflects a younger population. The patient population demographics attending Allesley Park Medical Centre appear to be broadly in line with national averages. Levels of social deprivation are lower than the national average. The practice has expanded its contracted obligations to provide some enhanced services to patients. An enhanced service is above the contractual requirement of the practice and is commissioned to improve the range of services available to patients. For example, the practice offers minor surgery, extended hours access, patient online access and facilitates timely diagnosis and support for people with dementia.

The clinical team is shared across both Allesley Park Medical Centre and the University of Warwick Health Centre and includes five GP partners (three male and two female), two salaried GPs (both female), one male trainee GP, five nurse practitioners, four practice nurses and one healthcare assistant. The team is supported by a practice manager, a business development manager, two administrative teams, two reception teams and two prescribing medicine coordinators.

Allesley Park Medical Centre offers appointments between 7am and 7.30pm on Mondays; 8.30am and 8pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays; 8.30am and 7.30pm on Wednesdays and 8.30am and 6.30pm on Fridays.

There are further arrangements in place to direct patients to out-of-hours services provided by NHS 111 when the practice is closed.

Updated 22 September 2016

Letter from the Chief Inspector of General Practice

We carried out an announced comprehensive inspection at Allesley Park Medical Centre on 26 May 2016. Overall the practice is rated as good.

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

• The practice used an effective system for reporting and recording significant events.
• Information about how to complain was clearly displayed and easy to understand. Complaints and concerns were analysed and used to improve the quality of care provided.
• The practice took a transparent and open approach to safety.
• Staff effectively assessed and managed risks to patients.
• The practice used current evidence based guidance to assess patients’ needs and deliver care. Training was encouraged and provided to staff to ensure they had the skills, knowledge and experience to deliver effective care and treatment.
• Patients said they were treated with respect and they were satisfied with the care they had received. They commented that clinical staff were good at listening to their concerns and described reception staff as helpful and approachable.
• Patients told us that they were able to get appointments when they needed them, and could usually get an emergency appointment the same day.
• The practice had modern facilities which met patients’ needs.
• The practice had a clear leadership structure and management supported staff to carry out their roles. The practice asked patients for input and was proactive in adopting changes.
• The practice was familiar with the conditions of the duty of candour and exercised an open and honest culture.

Professor Steve Field (CBE FRCP FFPH FRCGP) 

Chief Inspector of General Practice

Updated 22 September 2016

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

• Practice nurses offered dedicated chronic disease management appointments.
• Performance for diabetes related indicators were similar to the national average range. 82% of patients with diabetes had blood glucose levels and cholesterol within an acceptable range, compared with the national average of 78%. 94% of patients on the register had had a foot examination and risk classification in the previous 12 months, higher than the national average of 88%.
• Longer appointments and home visits were available when needed.
• The practice offered phlebotomy sessions three times each week to improve convenience for patients who needed regular blood tests.

Updated 22 September 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of families, children and young people.

• Immunisation rates were relatively high for all standard childhood immunisations. The practice used an alert system to flag any children who had missed immunisations.
• Staff 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.
• There were children’s toys available in reception and baby changing facilities.
• Patients told us that GPs were good at dealing with their children.
• QOF 2014/2015 indicators showed that the practice’s patient uptake of cervical screening was in line with national averages.
• Appointments were available outside of school hours and the premises were suitable for children and babies.
• The practice liaised appropriately with midwives and health visitors, and the practice had appointed lead GPs for post-natal checks.

Updated 22 September 2016

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

• The practice recognised that it had a steadily increasing population of older people and offered proactive, personalised care to meet their needs.
• The practice was responsive to the needs of older people, and offered home visits and urgent appointments for those with enhanced needs.
• The practice had patients who lived in two local care homes. Both described the service the practice provided to people as very good, and were pleased to have a dedicated weekly visit. We were told that the GPs were responsive to visit requests and offered proactive person centred care.
• The practice maintained care plans and had designated GPs for those older people at high risk of hospital admission and reviewed these every three months as a preventative measure.
• The practice had consistently low emergency admission rates. Most recently published data for the year 2014 to 2015 showed that the practice had seven emergency admissions per 1,000 patients for 19 Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions, compared with the national average of 15. Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions (ACSCs) are conditions where effective management by primary medical services can help to prevent the need for hospital admission.
• The practice worked with the recently established Integrated Neighbourhood Teams aimed at supporting frail and vulnerable patients.
• The practice had adopted the Gold Standards Framework for end of life care and held frequent palliative care meetings with district and Macmillan nurses.

Updated 22 September 2016

The practice is rated as good for the care of working-age people (including those recently retired and students).

• The practice had considered the needs of its working-aged patients, including students and those recently retired, and offered extended hours to assist them.
• Evening appointments were offered daily until 7.30pm on Mondays and Wednesdays; 8pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 6.30pm on Fridays. The practice also offered early morning appointments on Mondays from 7am to 8am.
• Telephone appointments were available to provide additional flexibility.
• Patients could register with the online booking service to book appointments, order repeat prescriptions, view coded medical records and provide feedback at a time that was convenient for them. The practice also offered an electronic prescription service allowing patients to collect prescriptions at a location convenient to them.
• The nursing team offered clinics for travel advice and vaccinations for patients planning to travel abroad.
• The practice offered a range of screening and health promotions to meet the needs of working age people.

Updated 22 September 2016

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

• Clinical staff at the practice liaised with local multi-disciplinary teams to provide continuity of care to patients experiencing poor mental health, including those with dementia.
• The practice maintained a mental health register, and the practice nursing team carried out annual mental and physical health checks for those patients with complex needs.
• The practice performed in line with the national average in Quality Outcomes Framework 2014/2015 mental health related indicators. For example, 90% of patients on the practice register with poor mental health had a comprehensive agreed care plan documented in the past 12 months, compared with 88% nationally.
• 87% of patients diagnosed with dementia had had their care reviewed in a face to face meeting in the last 12 months, which was comparable to the national average of 84%.
• Patients experiencing poor mental health were given information about how to access support groups and voluntary organisations. For example, Improving Access to Psychological Therapies counsellors held clinics at the practice.

Updated 22 September 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 those with a learning disability and older patients at high risk of hospital admission.
• The practice had no travellers or homeless people on their patient list at the time of our visit, but explained they would provide urgent clinical care to these groups as required. The practice followed local guidance to direct homeless patients to a walk in centre in the area, but was able to register them as patients if they preferred. The practice also had a process in place to register travellers under a temporary address.
• The practice offered longer appointments for patients with a learning disability.
• The practice regularly worked with other health care professionals in the case management of patients living in circumstances that made them vulnerable, including the drug and alcohol advisor and the Integrated Neighbourhood Teams.
• The practice informed 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.